On Friday 9 January in Damascus, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed a new framework for cooperation with Syria at a meeting with the Syrian President, Ahmed al-Charaa, in the presence of the President of the European Council, António Costa.
This new framework is based on three pillars: a new political partnership, economic cooperation and financial support from the EU.
The Union therefore intends to launch a high-level political dialogue in the first half of 2026, which “will enable us to examine together how the EU can best support Syria on the road to recovery, reconstruction and civil peace”, according to the President of the Commission. She expressed her concern at the escalation of violence in Aleppo in recent days, saying that dialogue between all parties was “urgent”.
“We support your commitment to achieving the goal of a new, peaceful, inclusive and secure Syria”, promised Ms von der Leyen. Mr Costa welcomed the “important steps” taken by the new authorities to rebuild the country, and supported Syria’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
As regards economic cooperation, in addition to the lifting of EU economic sanctions in 2025 and the EU’s invitation to the European Investment Bank to resume its activities in Syria, Ms von der Leyen would like to discuss the resumption of the Cooperation Agreement, signed in 1977 and suspended since 2011, “so that Syria can once again benefit from access to the European economic market”.
The President called for financial support of around €620 million for this year and next. “This financial support will of course include humanitarian aid, but also support for early recovery and bilateral aid”, she said, adding that after years of devastation under Assad’s regime, Syria’s recovery and reconstruction needs were immense.
According to Ms von der Leyen, this support is “essential to help the government restore essential services to the population and rebuild state institutions”.
Syrian refugees. Alongside her visit to Syria and another to Lebanon, Ursula von der Leyen announced the signing of an €80 million programme to support the return and reintegration of Syrian refugees in their country of origin.
The President of the Commission reiterated her determination to ensure “Syrians to have a real prospect of coming back home and rebuild their lives [t]here”, counting on intensified “collaboration with our regional partners, in particular Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), o support safe, dignified and voluntary returns”.
In a joint statement published the day before, on Thursday 8 January, the European Commission took note of the UNHCR's conclusions that the necessary conditions “are currently not met for large numbers of repatriation” of Syrians.
From Beirut, Ursula von der Leyen also praised the “remarkable solidarity” shown by Lebanon in welcoming “one of the largest Syrian refugee populations in the world”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Justine Manaud)