The European Parliament allows Damascus to use frozen Syrian assets from the Assad era and Paris says that it opposes any further lifting of sanctions if violations remain unpunished

The European Parliament has approved a bill allowing the use of frozen Syrian assets from the former regime to support political transition and reconstruction in Syria.

The bill was approved in Wednesday’s session, with 462 members voting in favor, 76 against, and 106 abstaining.

The bill doesn’t specify the value of the Assad regime’s frozen financial assets in EU countries, but the parliament called on those countries to investigate how these assets are being used to support reconstruction and compensate victims.

In its statement, the European Parliament called on member states to support the new Syrian administration in its efforts to rebuild infrastructure sectors, such as energy, water, health, and education, as part of a comprehensive, Syrian-led political transition aimed at unifying and rebuilding the country.

The statement noted that the political transition process must include all diverse components of Syrian society, including religious and ethnic groups, women, and the peaceful opposition.

The statement also emphasized that approximately 500,000 people have been displaced within Syria, and that 90% of the population lives in poverty.

The EU Parliament appealed to the European Union and member states to continue humanitarian aid, in addition to providing financial support to neighboring countries hosting approximately 5.5 million Syrian refugees.

On the other hand, the French government has warned that it will not agree to any further easing of sanctions on Syria if violations that have killed civilians in recent days continue without accountability.

In his address to the French Senate, Minister Delegate for Francophonie Affairs Thani Mohammed al Sulayhi explained, “It’s clear that we won’t agree to lift sanctions again unless we receive guarantees that violations won’t go unpunished”.

He added that France condemns all violations against civilians, regardless of their sect or the party behind them, whether linked to Assad’s regime or terrorist groups”.

The French minister emphasized that restoring stability and prosperity to Syria can only be achieved through a political process that guarantees the rights and security of all communities.

In a related context, he welcomed the agreement reached between the Syrian government and the Syria Democratic Forces, which aims to integrate civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria into Syrian state institutions.

He also noted that the results achieved with the Kurds, followed by an agreement with the Druze, were very encouraging.

Earlier, France called on the Syrian government to hold accountable those responsible for the recent violence in the country, particularly in the Sahel region, where civilians were subjected to abuses in response to attacks by remnants of the former regime.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that he had spoken with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al Shibani, and assured him of France’s strong condemnation of the violence in Syria, noting that he stressed the need to punish those responsible for the crimes committed.