By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS

Lifting sanctions on Syria is essential to the country’s recovery, Syria’s foreign minister stressed on Monday.

“Today, we are here not to talk about humanitarian assistance, but we want to establish a true plan in order to achieve the goals, those of lifting the sanctions, to let us rebuild, to help Syrians rebuild their country free from the coercive and unilateral sanctions under which the Syrian people have suffered a great deal,” Asaad al-Shaibani said in a speech at a donor conference for Syria hosted by the EU in Brussels.

Thanking the EU for suspending the sanctions on Syria in some sectors, he added: “We want further measures in order to help us secure our recovery. These sanctions were imposed on the old (Assad) regime, and so we’re being punished for something we have not done.”

Shaibani also underscored that Syria’s stability and prosperity also concerns the wider Middle East and the world at large and so the Syrian government’s work to rebuild the country and provide peace and prosperity to its citizens deserve support.

“Thus, here, we would like to call upon all countries to give their support to invest in Syria in order to achieve sustainable development, to provide job opportunities, to enhance the livelihood and welfare of the Syrian people,” he said.

He also drew attention to government efforts, including formation of a committee to investigate recent bloodshed in the country’s coastal areas, which started with an attack of the old regime’s remnants and resulted in many deaths.

“We want to protect our territories and to guard against any threat from the outside or those who are leaking inside. Syria, despite all these challenges, is adamant on the process of cleansing our country from corruption, and we want to achieve peace, transitional justice, and reconciliation,” said Shaibani.

He also condemned Israel’s policy of illegally expanding its occupation of the Golan Heights and provoking the country’s minorities and the international public against the central government in Damascus.

“Israel is taking advantage of the transitional stage of our society. It has carried out a breach, a breach of our sovereignty. Syria is one state. Syrians at large cannot possibly be complacent towards any attempt to interfere with our own affairs or harming our unity,” he said.

Shaibani arrived in Brussels on Monday to attend the ninth EU conference in support of Syria.

Since 2017, the EU has held an annual donor conference in support of Syria, during which the bloc offers grants and aid to war-devastated Syria and to countries hosting Syrian refugees.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.