28/10/24 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 28 October, the European Commission confirmed that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is considering “appointing a special envoy for Syria”. The Commission spokesperson added that they would say no more at this point, as “this is an ongoing process”. This choice comes against a backdrop of Syrians returning to Syria from Lebanon, fleeing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. A document obtained by Politico talks about development assistance in a war-torn country. There is talk of renewing relations with Syria, 13 years after diplomatic relations with Bashar al-Assad’s regime were severed in 2011. As a reminder, in May 2024, eight EU Member States said they were prepared to return Syrian refugees to safe areas in Syria (see EUROPE 13413/36). (FS)