Syria will join the donor meeting for the first time, a key step for its new leader

BRUSSELS (AP) – On Monday, the EU held a meeting of Syrian donors to ensure a peaceful transition after President Bashar Assad was removed from the rebels in December.

Ministers and representatives from Western partners, as well as Syria’s regional neighbors, other Arab countries and UN agencies will attend a one-day meeting in Brussels, chaired by the EU’s Foreign Policy Director Kaja Kallas.

Syria will attend the meeting for the first time (ninth edition of the same category) and will be represented by Foreign Minister Asad Hassan al-Shibani. The event was organized in a hurry by the EU to try to take advantage of changes that have swept across the country.

Partying is unstable. Syria's new leaders are trying to consolidate control of territories that were divided into de facto mini-states during the nearly 14 years of the Civil War and rebuild the country's economy and infrastructure. The United Nations estimated in 2017 that rebuilding Syria would cost at least $250 billion, and experts say that the figure could reach at least $400 billion.

The prospect of an economic recovery has been hampered by the harsh Western sanctions imposed during Assad's rule and has largely not been lifted.

The interim government may seek the Brussels meeting to cover its legitimacy in the eyes of the international community, hoping that sanctions can be lifted while also seeking short-term assistance.

Security Question

But the EU, especially, is in a difficult situation, because not everyone has been going well recently.

Last week, an ambush of Syria's security patrol by gunmen loyal to Assad triggered conflict. Some factions have formed alliances with the new government and launched sectarian revenge attacks – mainly targeting members of the Assad Alaveite minority – monitoring groups say hundreds of civilians were killed in a few days.

In a statement, the EU called for “full respect for Syria’s sovereignty, solidarity and territorial integrity”, which he said would only support “a transition from vicious foreign intervention to “a peaceful and inclusive transition that guarantees the rights of all Syrians without any form of any form.”

Syria also participated in the agenda of the EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting, with Karas going to chair separately on Monday. Groups in 27 countries have begun to ease sanctions in the energy, transportation and financial sectors to encourage new authorities, but remain vigilant.

The country's interim rulers have been working to exert their power in much of Syria since the former Islamic insurgency group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS led a lightning rebellion against Assad.

Former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, now interim president, signed an interim constitution on Thursday to rule Syria for five years in the transitional stage.

While many are pleased to see the Assad family’s dictatorship for more than 50 years, religion and ethnic minorities are skeptical of the new Islamic leaders and are reluctant to let Damascus claim control of its region with its new leadership capabilities.

If things don't like Western supporters, the EU can reintroduce sanctions. Meanwhile, Syria's economy, infrastructure and institutions are in shatter. As a failed state, it could become another safe haven for extremists.

Economic and humanitarian needs

People only use a few hours of electricity a day, water supply is unreliable and usually unsafe, with an unemployment rate of 80% or 90%, and destruction is common. During the 2011 Arab Spring Democratic Movement, many government employees and experts needed to rebuild and flee, trapped in conflict and authoritarian rule under Assad.

The UN Refugee Agency said about 7 million people left their homes last year but remained in Syria. In neighboring countries, most in Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan, there are more than 4.7 million refugees registered. Nearly 302,000 have returned since Assad fell.

Despite the challenges, the UN Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher, who will attend the meeting, is optimistic. “Running operations in Syria and throughout Syria is much easier now than the Assad regime's actions,” Fletcher told reporters last week.

“I had a great conversation with the caretaker,” he said, noting that Al-Shibani in particular helped keep the crossing open.

Although the purpose of Monday's meeting was to generate a commitment to aid, it also focused on meeting Syria's economic needs, which requires peace. Infrastructure, health and education must be expanded. Work and work plan cash is needed so that Syrians can start making a living.

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Sewell reported to Beirut. AP reporter Edith M. Lederer contributed to the report in New York.