Swiss foreign minister says no immediate plan to ease Syria sanctions

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, left, and Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hasan AlShaibani attend the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis met the de facto foreign minister of Syria at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Cassis said there was no immediate plan to ease sanctions against the transitional government.

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Syria’s acting foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani is currently considered a terrorist in Switzerland. Foreign Minister Cassis told the media at the WEF in Davos that these and other sanctions would “certainly not” be eased for the time being.

He first wants to see facts from the transitional government, which emerged from the Islamist group HTS. Responses regarding an inclusive transition process were “very vague”, said Cassis.

Since the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, the new leadership in Syria has been trying to establish new diplomatic relations worldwide. Speaking at a televised event at the WEF with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, al-Shaybani told the audience that “the big challenge is economic sanctions. We inherited a lot of problems from the Assad regime… but removing economic sanctions is key for the stability of Syria”.

Cassis also met Israeli President Isaac Herzog to discuss the next steps in the ceasefire and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel plans to implement laws banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at the end of the month. Cassis told Israeli President that the new laws should not prevent the agency from continuing its work.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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