Italy has appointed an ambassador to Syria after eight EU countries called for Europe to reconsider its policy towards the country. Rome is the first G7 country to re-establish diplomatic relations with Damascus.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on Friday the appointment of Stefano Ravagnan, the foreign ministry’s special envoy for Syria, as resident ambassador in Damascus.
There are currently six EU embassies in Damascus: Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The other G7 countries, including the US, Japan, the UK, Canada, France and Germany, have not yet re-appointed ambassadors to Syria.
Seven EU countries call for change of policy ‘no peace with Assad’
However, according to a letter signed by seven European Union countries and obtained by Al-Majalla, the new peace initiative is based on the abandonment of the famous ‘three no’s’ and the red line of ‘no peace with the regime of Bashar al-Assad’.
The current EU strategy is based on the ‘three no’s’. These are: no normalisation with Damascus, no lifting of sanctions and no involvement in the reconstruction of Syria unless ‘significant progress’ is made in the political process as set out in UN Resolution 2254.
In two documents sent to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell by the foreign ministers of Italy, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia, the main objective of the new European diplomacy is defined as the creation of a ‘realistic, proactive and effective European policy on Syria’.
Brussels calls for ‘realistic and sustainable approach in Syria’
The ministers presented the ‘non-paper’ to Borrell and the Political and Security Committee for formal discussion, and it contains clear analysis and recommendations. In diplomacy, a non-paper is a written summary of an oral presentation to a foreign government or organisation.
The document states that the EU should adopt a “realistic and sustainable approach” in the light of developments on the ground and in the region.
The European countries conclude that while the introduction of broad humanitarian exemptions is extremely useful, international sanctions exert little pressure on decision-makers while negatively affecting the wider population.
