Brussels, May 11 (SANA) The Chargé d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, said Monday that the Syria Partnership Coordination Forum in Brussels marks an important step toward strengthening coordination between Syria and donor countries on social and economic recovery.
Speaking to SANA on the sidelines of the forum, Ohnmacht said that after 14 years of working against the deposed regime, the EU is now working with and in close coordination with the Syrian government in the interest of the Syrian people. He expressed optimism about the transitional process, saying Europe wants the Syrian transition to succeed.
The day’s proceedings included a morning session on cooperation and development, followed by a high-level political dialogue attended by all 27 EU member states alongside the Syrian delegation led by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. Discussions covered bilateral relations, the political situation, the transitional phase, and social and economic recovery.
Ohnmacht said the central message from the forum is that Syria has fully returned to Mediterranean engagement and partnership with Europe. On sanctions, he indicated that remaining files will be addressed, and flagged the resumption of negotiations toward a new Syria-EU partnership agreement, describing the reinstated 1978 trade accord as the first step in that direction.
On the sidelines, Syria’s Foreign Minister al-Shaibani held bilateral meetings with EU Commissioner Dubravka Šuica and with Julian Barnes-Dacey, Director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Kh.A
