EU explores deeper Syria partnership, flags concern over Russia role

BRUSSELS/DAMASCUS, Nov 11 - The European Union is weighing a broad upgrade in ties with Syria, including security sector reform, investment and a revival of a long-frozen trade accord, according to an EU document seen by Reuters, as the bloc seeks to draw Damascus closer to Europe and counter lingering Russian influence after Bashar al-Assad's overthrow.The discussion paper, prepared by the bloc's diplomatic service ahead of a November 16 meeting of EU foreign ministers, sketches one of Brussels' most ambitious efforts yet to normalise ties with Syria, less than two years after Assad's fall ended decades of authoritarian rule and reshaped regional alliances.The EU's diplomatic service said that while Syria's transition is moving forward, "challenges remain high and accelerated progress is needed" on issues such as economic recovery, national reconciliation, and the reintegration of internally displaced people and refugees.Alongside plans to support security-sector reform, including trilateral cooperation with Jordan on the training of Syrian police recruits, the EU is seeking to step up its engagement with the country to limit "the malign influence of Russian and other foreign actors on Syria", the discussion paper said.Russia's intervention in Syria's civil war helped keep Assad in power for years and secured Moscow's strategic foothold on the Mediterranean. Since his overthrow, however, the Kremlin has been trying to secure a new deal with the current authorities to preserve access to the Tartous naval facility and Hmeimim air base, assets that underpin its military reach in the region.The EU document said Moscow's influence had diminished post-Assad but its continued military presence and economic leverage remained a concern.OPENING THE DOOR WIDER TO INVESTMENTSyria faces enormous reconstruction needs after nearly 14 years of civil war that devastated infrastructure and crippled the economy. Its new authorities have sought foreign investment to rebuild the country and revive trade after years of international isolation.Among the most striking proposals in the EU document is a plan to revive an association agreement initialled in 2008 but never concluded, a move that would create a framework for free trade, political dialogue and broader cooperation between Brussels and Damascus.EU diplomats would seek a fresh mandate from EU member countries to negotiate revisions to the pact. The document said the existing text could provide a basis for rapidly deepening ties.On the economic front, the EU is seeking to reintegrate Syria into Euro-Mediterranean cooperation frameworks and global trade networks, with a focus on transport, energy and digital connectivity.The bloc is encouraging the European Investment Bank to resume engagement with Syria and helping Damascus' efforts to become a shareholder in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a step towards accessing reconstruction finance.An EU-led coordination forum scheduled for November 17 in Damascus will focus on investment and private sector engagement, laying the groundwork for a possible EU-Syria investment conference in 2027, the document said.The proposed steps follow the resumption of the EU's 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria and the first high-level political dialogue between Brussels and Damascus in May. The EU has committed 620 million euros ($718 million) in support for Syria in 2026 and 2027, covering humanitarian assistance and socio-economic recovery. REUTERS