{"id":137619,"date":"2026-05-12T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=137619"},"modified":"2026-05-12T06:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:00:37","slug":"eu-syria-forge-strategic-cooperation-at-brussels-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/137619\/","title":{"rendered":"EU, Syria forge strategic cooperation at Brussels Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) &#8211;<\/strong> The Syria Partnership Coordination Forum in Brussels on Monday marked a major turning point in European Union\u2013Syria relations, advancing economic cooperation, aid coordination and the formal reinstatement of a key trade agreement more than a decade after its suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hosted by the European Commission and Syrian transitional government, the forum brought together EU member states, partner countries, United Nations representatives and international financial institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Co-chaired by European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica and Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad al-Shaibani, the meeting aimed to synchronize international efforts with Syria\u2019s recovery priorities after years of conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a parallel development, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision terminating the partial suspension of the 1977 EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement, which had been scaled back in 2011 in response to human rights abuses under the ousted Assad regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision repeals the 2011 suspension and fully reinstates the bilateral agreement, reopening the legal framework for economic and trade relations and lifting trade restrictions on Syrian goods including oil, petroleum products, precious metals and other key commodities. Officials described the move as a political signal of the EU\u2019s intent to re-engage with Syria and support its socioeconomic recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reinstated provisions will take effect from the first day of the month following formal notification to Syrian authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the forum, the EU underscored its commitment to a comprehensive recovery strategy focused on institutional strengthening, sustainable development and public service delivery. A new \u20ac15 million Technical Assistance Hub was outlined as a Team Europe initiative to coordinate technical expertise, streamline aid and bolster Syrian institutional capacities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Commissioner Suica also announced a \u20ac14 million EU contribution to rehabilitate al-Rastan Hospital in Homs and a Team Europe health initiative to restore key healthcare infrastructure \u2014 elements of a broader socio-economic package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EU reiterated plans for an expanded \u20ac280 million program for 2026\u201327 to build on recovery efforts, in addition to the previously pledged \u20ac175 million socio-economic support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Syrian officials framed the forum as a launchpad for deeper partnership with the EU, emphasizing shared interests in economic revival, institutional rebuilding and long-term stability. Minister al-Shaibani told attendees that Syria seeks cooperation grounded in mutual responsibility and sustainable growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside the coordination forum, Syria and EU leaders held the first high-level political dialogue, focusing on ways to broaden cooperation on inclusive governance, humanitarian assistance and regional security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>By Jwan Shekaki<\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) &#8211; The Syria Partnership Coordination Forum in Brussels on Monday marked a major turning point in European Union\u2013Syria relations, advancing economic cooperation, aid coordination and the formal reinstatement of a key trade agreement more than a decade after its suspension. Hosted by the European Commission and Syrian transitional government, the forum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":137620,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-politics","category-syria"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>EU, Syria forge strategic cooperation at Brussels Forum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) - The Syria Partnership Coordination Forum in Brussels on Monday marked a major turning point in European Union\u2013Syria\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/137619\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EU, Syria forge strategic cooperation at Brussels Forum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) - 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