EU delegation to reopen delegation in Syria: Let’s understand
The European Union is going to reopen its delegation in Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently said. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted the same and added their decision to increase humanitarian aid to the country.
The EU delegation is sort of like an embassy. It had never been closed but has not been an accredited ambassador in the capital Damascus during the internal conflict in Syria. Kallas said in the European Parliament that this delegation is set to be fully operational again.
We can’t leave a vacuum in Syria.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) December 17, 2024
The EU must be present.
We have already started with a process to engage cautiously with the new leadership and the civil society.
We will also reopen the EU delegation in Syria to have constructive engagement and get input from the ground. pic.twitter.com/QjEK4QE1qw
“The risk of a Daesh (Islamic State) resurgence”
Kaja Kallas said she had asked the delegation’s head to go to Syria on Monday to contact the current leadership in the country and other groups. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham spearheaded the recent offensive that toppled long-time President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Turkey that the “lack of predictability demands utmost caution. The risk of a Daesh (Islamic State) resurgence, particularly in eastern Syria, is real … Turkey’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed.”