At their summit on Thursday 19 December, European leaders are due to discuss the approach to be adopted towards Syria following the fall of the Assad regime and the rise to power of the HTS organisation.
“We are not naïve about its origins”, informed a European source. “The first thing is to understand its intentions”, added one diplomat. Initial contacts have already been made between European and HTS representatives.
According to a draft conclusion obtained by Agence Europe, the European Council is expected to invite the Commission and the High Representative to submit options for measures to support Syria.
According to several sources, this support will be provided step by step. While humanitarian support, aid to the population and support for basic services is expected to be swift, the lifting of sanctions could be a long time coming. “We have to carefully manage the sequence between what can be done very quickly in material terms and what requires conditions for a longer-term, deeper commitment”, explained one diplomat. This support will not be unconditional. Thus, believing that the fall of the Assad regime is a “historic opportunity to reunify and rebuild the country”, leaders are expected to emphasise “the importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, in line with the fundamental principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254”.
The independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, respect for human and women’s rights, non-sectarian governance, the protection of religious and ethnic minorities and the preservation of cultural heritage is expected to be emphasised by the leaders. They are also expected to stress the importance of combating terrorism, preventing the re-emergence of terrorist groups and destroying the remaining stocks of chemical weapons in Syria. Although this is not an official condition of European support, several sources have expressed the hope that the HTS will not allow Russia to keep its military bases.
The European Council is expected to call on “all parties to preserve national unity and ensure the protection of all civilians, the provision of public services and the creation of conditions for an inclusive and peaceful political transition and for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees, as defined by the High Commissioner for Refugees”. Some Member States are already considering the return of Syrian refugees from their territories, while others consider it premature.
To see the draft conclusions of the European Council: https://aeur.eu/f/ev7 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)