Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In her speech before the European Parliament on the preparations for the EU leaders’ summit that will start tomorrow, Thursday, in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen said: “Let me focus on two main topics for the next European Council. Syria and Ukraine. The fall of Bashar al-Assad is a liberation for the Syrian people. We have all seen the heartbreaking images coming from Assad’s prisons, where many innocent people have been detained, tortured and killed. Innocent people like the little girl who spent 14 years in prison because of a post on social media. Or children who were born in prison, who never saw the light of day. Assad built an entire system of underground cells. This was the true face of the regime. This is why many Syrians are overwhelmed with joy. For the first time in decades, hope has returned to Syria.
But while the old Syria is gone, the new Syria has not yet been born. Some of the first steps taken by the new leadership are encouraging. But many questions remain open. Will there be a political transition that respects national unity? Will all minorities be safe and protected? And will the fight against ISIS continue? To name a few. Syria’s future is full of With promise but also risk. The coming weeks and months will be decisive in shaping it. And Europe will play its part. Syria shares a maritime border with a member state. The events in Syria have deeply affected us over the past decade. A reliable and inclusive transition is a fundamental European interest.

So Europe must get involved – both regionally and locally. I have just returned from Jordan and Turkey, where I discussed how we can work together to stabilise the region. First, our top diplomat has returned to Syria. Our Union has always maintained a presence in Damascus to support those in need – while respecting the principles of no contact, no cooperation and no financing of the Assad regime. But now our presence takes on a different dimension. We will intensify our direct contacts with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other factions. We care about the future of Syria, and we must be there on the ground.

That is why we have just launched a new humanitarian air bridge via Turkey and Jordan. We have increased our humanitarian aid to more than €160 million this year. And we are ready to do more, provided we can better reach all parts of the country. But we should also consider expanding our support beyond humanitarian aid. Europe is already the largest donor to Syria. Since 2011, our annual conferences on Syria have mobilized around €33 billion. We will continue this support, but with a new focus on early recovery and reconstruction. We are talking about electricity, water, infrastructure and more. But this must follow a step-by-step approach. The new leadership in Damascus must show that its actions match its words. In this context, we should also review our sectoral sanctions, to facilitate reconstruction. And here again – to do this, we need to see real progress towards an inclusive political process. Europe has leverage in Syria. We should use it, so that power can return to the Syrian people. Finally, on refugees. The fall of the regime has given hope to many Syrian refugees. A significant number of them have already started to return to Syria. But UN agencies tell us that risks remain for both individuals and ethnic groups. The right of return for all refugees must be voluntary, safe and dignified. For Syrians who decide to return home, Europe stands ready to support them every step of the way. Syria belongs to all its people, including those who fled Assad’s brutality. All Syrians have the right to take the country’s future into their own hands. The events in Syria will reverberate far beyond the Middle East, she said. Assad’s fall is a cautionary tale about the limits of Russian power projection.