European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday she hopes a political agreement on easing Syria sanctions can be reached at a gathering of European ministers next week. EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Syria during a meeting in Brussels on Jan.

EU sanctions include bans on oil imports from Syria, as well as a ban on investment in the Syrian oil industry and a freeze on any Syrian central bank assets in the EU. The proposed roadmap indicates some existing sanctions, including those related to arms and entities linked to the Assad regime, would not be suspended.

European countries have been grappling with how to handle new regime following downfall of Bashar al-Assad, with a timeline for lifting sanctions moving onto the agenda. View on euronews

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.

Syria's top diplomat said Wednesday that lifting economic sanctions imposed during the rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad was "key" to restoring stability in the war-torn country.For weeks, Syria's new authorities have been lobbying Western powers to scrap restrictions that had targeted Assad's administration over his brutal 2011 crackdown on anti-government protests,

RIYADH (Reuters) - European foreign ministers will meet at the end of January to discuss the lifting of sanctions on Syria, the EU foreign policy chief said on Sunday in Riyadh ahead of a meeting of top Middle Eastern and Western diplomats and Syria's new foreign minister.

But Germany's foreign minister said sanctions against “Assad’s henchmen who committed serious crimes” must remain in place.

Italy has signalled its willingness to act as a bridge-builder between Syria and the European Union after the fall of long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad. "Italy is ready to play its part in promoting the reform process in Syria,

EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib on Friday became the first European Union official to visit Syria since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last month.

Kallas said EU foreign ministers will look at how to ease sanctions during a Jan. 27 meeting in Brussels. “But this must follow tangible progress in a political transition that reflects Syria in ...

The country's new rulers have been pushing for sanctions relief since overthrowing Bashar al-Assad's government last month

The EU foreign policy chief, said the foreign ministers would convene in Brussels on 27 January, in an effort to decide how the 27-nation bloc would relax sanctions on Syria.