EU invites new Syria gov’t to donor conference in Brussels

The European Commission has invited Syria’s new government to its donor conference in the Belgian capital Brussels this month, in a move which further signals the international community’s acceptance of the new Syrian authorities.

Speaking at the European Commission’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Anitta Hipper revealed that “an invite was sent” to Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani for attendance at the Commission’s donor conference on 17 March in support of the recently-liberated country.

Titled ‘Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition’, the donor conference – which the EU has been organising annually since 2017 – is set to be the first held since the ouster of the Assad regime three months ago, with this new Syrian interim government being the first Syrian administration to participate.

“We are all having an interest in the stabilisation of Syria. It’s important that the work towards that happens, and this can only happen with an inclusive transition, because there’s no alternative to that,” Hipper stated.

Highlighting that the conference presents a “very important occasion” to engage with the Syrian authorities on the current situation within the country and to assess how the EU could best provide support, she stressed that “we should spare no effort in support of a peaceful and inclusive transition away from any foreign interference which guarantees the rights of all Syrians, without distinctions.”

Why does Syria need a fast transition plan?