Italy is ready to play its part to promote a reform process in Syria and seeks to act as a bridge between the new Syria and the European Union, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a press conference in Damascus on Friday after meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa,

The European Union could begin lifting sanctions on Syria if the war-torn country's new rulers take steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities, the bloc's top diplomat said Friday.

European Union sanctions in Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly, France's foreign minister said Wednesday.

Germany is leading European Union discussions on easing sanctions imposed on the Syrian government of toppled President Bashar al-Assad and aiding the country's population, foreign ministry sources said on Tuesday.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Europe may move faster. On January 3rd the French and German foreign ministers met Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto ruler, in Damascus. Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said it was premature to lift sanctions. In private, though, German diplomats are circulating a proposal which would do just that.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will be heading to Syria to encourage the transition in the country following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock linked the receipt of financial assistance from the European Union by the new Syrian authorities with the observance of women's rights. The German edition of Der Tagesspiegel writes about this.

The European Union will closely watch the political process developing in Syria and stand by the country if it moves toward a peaceful and open future but it will not back Syria's Islamization, Germany's foreign minister said on Friday.

Syrians marked Wednesday a month since the ouster of longtime dictator Assad in a lightning offensive by an anti-regime alliance. The alliance, led

During her visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock outlined clear conditions for European support of Syria's new leadership and emphasized that Germany and the European Union are committed to fostering a peaceful and free future for Syria.

All Syrian groups, including women and Kurds, must be involved in the country's transition if Damascus wants European support, Germany's foreign minister said after a closely-watched first meeting with the new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday.