There are eight European countries that get instructions to thoroughly review the European Union’s approach to Syria. Thirteen years have passed and the Assad regime remains in power. And these countries have the opinion that this is the time for changing the policy. These 8 countries include Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In a letter addressed to Josep Borrell, the EU’s Foreign Policy chief, the foreign ministers from these nations called to rethink about more proactive and effective Syria policy.
They said that the European Union should focus on methods that are practical and achieve some big goals. This letter was sent just before a meeting where EU diplomats were scheduled to discuss Middle Eastern affairs. The main purpose is to make sure that the European Union approach to Syria is not only dynamic but also discusses the ongoing complexities more effectively.
The proposal of the policy reform from the foreign minister is one of the promising ideas. They think that this change could boost the political influence in Syria. Also it paves the way to give more humanitarian aid to Syria. There are ten specific areas that they outlined in discussion. They believed that discussion on these areas should be openly and without bias.
According to Euractiv, a news outlet that reviewed the original letter, the diplomats are suggesting that the EU create a special envoy position for Syria. This envoy would have the task of re-engaging with the Syrian ambassador in Brussels and working closely with various important figures both in Syria and across the wider region.
By establishing this role, the main purpose of the European Union is to make sure that aid reaches all needy areas efficiently. Overall this strategy seems to be a practical step to seriously focus on the Syria situation and also addressing the complex situation of this nation.
There are many areas in Syria that need to focus in order to improve the situation. For this purpose it is important to strengthen the partnership with Arab countries. This action can create a more coordinated and effective response. Furthermore, in order to cope with the severe situation in Syria, it is important to increase humanitarian aid. This aid will help to recover the most affected areas soon.
It is also important to focus on any negative impacts sanctions might have on people’s lives in Syria. It means checking the sanction is necessary that it worked according to plan or doing more harm than good.
Additionally it is also important to provide all those facilities that help to help citizens to safely return to their home in Syria. The foreign Minister of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg said that our Syria policy failed to work as we expect. Furthermore, since the last thirteen years it has not been working well. This is the clear reason that we need to revise the policy in order to make it more impactful and positive.
According to Schallenberg, “ Bitter as it is, with the help of Iran and Russia, the Assad regime remains firmly in the saddle, the Syrian opposition is fragmented or in exile altogether – the European Union cannot turn a blind eye to this reality any longer.”
The plan to revise the Syria policy by the European Union has been under discussion for many years. Some EU member states are pushing for Syria to be recognized as “safe” despite the ongoing human rights abuses committed by the Assad regime and continued conflicts in different parts of the country.
They argue that the situation will get better if the EU reconsiders its approach towards Syria. It’s important to remember that the European Union is enhancing sanctions against the Assad regime and all those who stand in favor of it. It simply means that a big change in Syria policy is on the way. Also EU countries are pushing for it.
The view of European Union countries clearly highlights the tougher approach. Their main focus is on pressuring regimes rather than easing restrictions. This is the reason that there is some arguments regarding changing the policy.
