The EU debates easy methods to begin contacts with the Syrian interim authorities | International | EUROtoday

The European Union is debating how and at what stage to provoke contacts, as an establishment, with the Syrian interim authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), designated as a terrorist group by the UN and the United States, and the formulation to assist the transition within the Arab nation after the overthrow of autocrat Bashar al-Assad. The overseas ministers of the 27 member states will discuss HTS and the scenario in Syria this Monday at a gathering in Brussels, the primary led by the brand new excessive consultant for Foreign Policy and Security, Kaja Kallas, who has been on this weekend a number of conferences in Jordan with heads of diplomacy from international locations within the area, the United States and different companions, to handle the Middle East disaster. The head of European diplomacy defined this Monday that she has already commissioned the EU diplomat accountable for Syria to journey to Damascus, the Syrian capital, and discover the structure of contacts there with the brand new Executive.

There is “caution” in regards to the new authorities – a gaggle that has been notably moderating its postulates, though it comes from the Syrian department of Al Qaeda – however the concept is to launch preliminary contacts on the European stage to gauge expectations in regards to the political course of and its penalties. most important parameters, diplomatic sources clarify. The debate comes as increasingly more Western states provoke contacts. The United States has already initiated “direct contacts” with HTS, as acknowledged by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The United Kingdom additionally claims that it has begun to have “diplomatic contacts.” Italy, on the diplomatic stage, has additionally maintained preliminary contact with the Syrian interim authorities. France will ship a delegation to Syria subsequent Tuesday, as reported this Sunday by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

An inside observe from the European Commission and the EU External Action Service (EEAS) to which EL PAÍS has had entry speaks of “opportunities and risks” in Syria, after the autumn of the Assad regime and attainable eventualities that They vary from stability and reconstruction at finest to finish volatility and collapse at worst. There are different “critical points” on the horizon, resembling Turkish operations in northern Syria, and Israeli operations within the south, says the observe, which factors out that not solely should we talk about easy methods to relate to HTS, but in addition what to do with the EU sanctions. The new Syria faces immeasurable challenges and the interim authorities doesn’t even have management over your complete territory.

This Monday would be the first substantive debate on the brand new transitional authorities and comes fueled by the choice of increasingly more member states – together with Germany, Austria and France – to droop asylum functions from Syrians till the scenario in that State, after virtually 14 years of civil warfare, turns into clear.

Spain has criticized the choice to paralyze requests for worldwide safety because of the volatility of the scenario. “At that moment we must be absolutely cautious and not take any measure that could undermine the right to asylum and refuge,” Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska remarked on Thursday in Brussels. “We are in a very early situation and with possibilities that, in our opinion, do not advise taking any measure that could limit this international law,” he added earlier than getting into a gathering together with his European counterparts.

But with the immigration debate highly regarded in a number of Member States, the place it’s a very divisive subject of nationwide politics, the concept of ​​a whole lot of hundreds of Syrian refugees returning house is spreading. In Austria, the place asylum seekers from that nation represent the biggest group (as in Germany), the authorities initially talked about deportation. Now, nevertheless, they’ve assured that they may give 1,000 euros to refugees who voluntarily return to Syria. “Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their country of origin with a return voucher of 1,000 euros. The country now needs its citizens to rebuild itself,” conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated on social media.

The European Commission has known as for “prudence”, saying that the circumstances for a “safe, voluntary and dignified return” to Syria usually are not but met. He additionally believes that there ought to be a standard place throughout the EU on this. However, on the similar time, it’s learning easy methods to “incentivize” the return of those that want to take action, as defined by the brand new Commissioner for the Interior, the Austrian Magnus Brunner.

The head of the group Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, will journey to Ankara this Tuesday to fulfill with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and speak about Syria. Since 2011, the EU has given some 10 billion euros to Ankara to handle assist applications for refugees and asylum seekers settled in that nation; the bulk (3.1 million), Syrians. Controversial funds, since abuse and mistreatment have been detected in facilities financed by the EU. Türkiye has introduced that it’s going to reopen its Embassy in Damascus, closed since 2012.

The EU has already introduced that it’s going to mobilize a further 4 million euros for the humanitarian organizations it really works with in Syria – bringing complete assist in 2024 to €163 million, in line with the Commission – and the launch of an operation of “air bridge” to initially ship 50 tons of well being provides via neighboring Turkey.