Six member states of the European Union have called for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking, according to a paper seen by Reuters. EU foreign ministers are set to discuss relaxing Syria sanctions during a meeting in Brussels on Jan.

Germany’s foreign minister says sanctions against Syrian officials responsible for war crimes must remain in place but called for a “smart approach” to provide relief to the Syrian population after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Germany has advocated a relaxation of some EU sanctions against Syria following the ouster of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad as Saudi Arabia hosted Sunday an international conference on the situation in the war-shattered country.

The new administration's approach to governing must include "different groups" and women, and "no radicalization", the European Union's foreign-policy chief said.

Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who has repeatedly called for lifting long-standing sanctions, attended the talks alongside foreign ministers and representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries.

WASHINGTON — A month after the rebel offensive that toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the United States announced a 6-month waiver to ease the delivery of humanitarian aid to the heavily sanctioned country.