(Adnkronos) – The EU Council has decided today to suspend some restrictive measures adopted against Syria, to support the ongoing political transition in the country after the fall of Bashar al Assad and to favor its economic recovery. In particular, it has suspended sectoral measures concerning energy (including oil, gas and electricity) and transport. It has also removed five companies (Industrial Bank, Popular Credit Bank, Savings Bank, Agricultural Cooperative Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines) from the list of sanctioned entities.
Some exemptions to the prohibition on establishing relationships between Syrian banks and Western financial institutions are also introduced, to allow transactions associated with energy and transport, in addition to those necessary for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes. An exception is also provided to the ban on exporting luxury goods to Syria, for personal use.
Measures related to the Assad regime remain in place, such as those relating to chemical weapons and drug trafficking, along with other sectoral measures (arms trade, dual-use goods, equipment usable for internal repression, software for interceptions and espionage, import/export of cultural goods). The Council will continue to assess whether other sanctions can be lifted. The suspension is reversible.
