German Special Envoy to Syria: The suspension of European sanctions on Syria will help Germany to return its activities with Syria
The German Special Envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, confirmed that the suspension of European sanctions on Syria will facilitate the repair of the Deir Ali power plant by the German company Siemens, and will also enable German airlines to resume flights to Syria.
Schneck explained in a post on X, that Germany succeeded in reaching a settlement with its European partners to suspend sanctions on the energy, transportation and finance sectors, considering that this step represents the beginning of Syria’s return to the international community after years of isolation.
The EU has agreed to suspend a range of sanctions on Syria, including vital sectors such as energy, transport and finance, while allowing transactions necessary for humanitarian purposes, he added.
The EU also announced the removal of five entities from the sanctions list, including the Industrial Bank, the Popular Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines.
It also agreed to provide some exemptions for banking transactions between Syrian banks and financial institutions in EU countries, facilitating transactions related to the energy and transport sectors.
In a related context, Germany is working to lead discussions within the EU on easing sanctions on Syria, as talk of easing restrictions began in documents sent to Brussels before Christmas.
The Deir Ali thermal power plant, one of the largest power plants in Syria, is located south of Damascus and has a total production capacity of 1,500 megawatts.
It was expanded in 2011, and a pilot expansion was put into operation in 2019, adding 750 megawatts to the national grid.
