EU's Syria Stance: Sanctions Held Amid Transition Talks

France insists it's premature for the EU to lift sanctions on Syria despite President Assad's downfall. Before considering such actions, discussions will prioritize defining the EU's stance on Syria's political transition. Talks in Brussels next week will focus on these evolving dynamics.

France declared on Thursday that the European Union should not rush to lift sanctions on Syria, even after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Instead, the immediate focus should be on solidifying the EU's stance on Syria's political transition.

While most EU member states have welcomed Assad's fall, they are contemplating the possibility of collaborating with the rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist faction labeled as a terrorist organization by the EU. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels next week to deliberate on this issue.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine emphasized a cautious and systematic approach: "We are proceeding in an orderly manner, step by step." While acknowledging the stringent nature of the current sanctions regime, Lemoine indicated that the primary discussions would revolve around the political transition in Syria, with the sanctions topic addressed subsequently.

(With inputs from agencies.)