Hadja Lahbib received a red carpet welcome last week when she became the first European commissioner to visit Damascus, Syria's capital, and meet with the country's new leaders after the toppling of Bashar Assad last month.

How the EU moves forward on amending its sanctions regime is closely scrutinised after the US eased restrictions on Syria to increase humanitarian aid earlier this month. No such

FILE PHOTO: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas looks on, during her visit to attend a meeting on Syria, following the recent ousting of president Bashar al-Assad, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

EU sanctions include bans on oil imports from Syria, as well as a ban on investment in the Syrian oil industry and a freeze on any Syrian central bank assets in the EU. The proposed roadmap indicates some existing sanctions, including those related to arms and entities linked to the Assad regime, would not be suspended.

European Union foreign ministers will meet in late January to discuss easing sanctions imposed on Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief said Sunday. Kaja Kallas' comments came at a gathering of top European and Middle Eastern diplomats in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to discuss Syria’s future.

The new administration's approach to governing must include "different groups" and women, and "no radicalization", the European Union's foreign-policy chief said.

The E.U. is moving to ease sanctions in a bid to sway how HTS leads Syria’s transition and to further curb Russian influence in the region, diplomats told The Post.