ISTANBUL

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg called on Monday for the lifting of certain economic sanctions against Syria, stressing the importance of providing economic opportunities for Syrians while holding those responsible for ongoing human rights violations accountable.

Speaking at the doorstep of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, Schallenberg explained that his plea was based on recent discussions with his Syrian counterpart at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“I would plead for the fact that we should give the new leaders in Syria a chance. But it's not a blank check,” he said.

He highlighted the need to address recent reports of violence in Syria, noting that over 30 people were killed.

“We just got reports of killings where over 30 people were killed in Syria. We have to investigate that very clearly,” he said, emphasizing the necessity to investigate such incidents.

Schallenberg, alongside his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, proposed suspending sanctions in the economic sector while keeping other measures, such as the arms embargo, in place.

“Everything depends on the economic livelihood, on having economic perspectives for the people in Syria,” he noted.

However, he made it clear that this move would be conditional.

“It’s not a blank issue. If we see that the development is going in the wrong direction, there will be a snapback mechanism so that sanctions would come back into force,” Schallenberg added.