EU to restore Syria cooperation pact ahead of May talks: What to know

The European Union is moving to fully revive a decades-old cooperation agreement with Syria ahead of high-level talks next month, marking another step toward expanding economic ties and political cooperation. 

Damascus is pursuing international engagement following years of isolation, and President Ahmad al-Sharaa is seeking to rebuild Syria’s economy and position the country within a rapidly shifting regional landscape being reshaped by the US-Israel-Iran war.

What happened: On Monday, the European Commission proposed resuming the EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement, a framework dating back to 1978 that was partially suspended in 2011 over human rights abuses under the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.

The agreement governs economic and trade relations, including preferential access to EU markets for Syrian industrial goods and the removal of certain trade barriers. Its revival would cement structured ties between Brussels and Damascus.