Italy appoints ambassador to Syria in latest sign of European thaw
Syria’s relations with the international community are gradually improving amid the ongoing civil war.
Italy will soon send an ambassador to Syria, the country’s top diplomat said on Friday, in a boost for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his quest for international legitimacy as well as Italy's efforts to stop migration into Europe.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajan said Rome decided to appoint the ambassador to "turn a spotlight” on Syria, Reuters reported. Italy’s special envoy to Syria, Stefano Ravagnan, will serve as ambassador and will arrive in the country soon, according to the news agency.
The Syrian government did not immediately comment on the news.
Why it matters: The European Union suspended cooperation with Syria in 2011 in response to Assad’s violent crackdown on protesters and placed sanctions on the country. Italy, France and Germany, among other European states, cut ties with Syria in 2012.
The Arab League suspended Syria in 2012 over the war, with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries in the region severing relations and providing support to rebel groups.
The tide began to shift toward the Syrian government in 2015 after Russian intervention and help from Hezbollah. Assad's forces regained control of most of the country and nations who had called on Assad to step down are now re-engaging with him. The Arab League readmitted Syria and Saudi Arabia resumed relations last year. In late June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “There is no reason to not reestablish ties with Syria.”
Italy is the first country in the EU and the G7 to formally resume relations with Syria. The move follows a letter last week urging the bloc to play a more active role in Syria due to the refugee crisis, sent from Italy, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia to the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.
The states wrote that Syria’s humanitarian situation has “deteriorated” and that “Syrians continue to leave in large numbers, putting additional strain on neighboring countries,” Reuters reported.
Know more: Italy is increasing its engagement with the Middle East and North Africa under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office in late 2022. Italy invited regional leaders to the G7 summit it hosted in June, including Erdogan and Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Meloni visited Tunisia in April and Libya in May.
Meloni, who heads a conservative government, has demonstrated a desire to work with the region to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. She signed economic agreements with Tunisia during her visit, including a $53 million budgetary aid package. Tunisia “cannot become the arrival point for migrants coming from the rest of Europe,” she said in Tunis, according to the Associated Press.
