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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the European Union is working on Syria's reconstruction and recovery.
This came after her meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar'a on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Von der Leyen said in a post on the American company "X" platform: "I had a good meeting with President Ahmed al-Shar'a on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly".
She added that "the European Union will remain a reliable partner for a peaceful, stable, and comprehensive transition in Syria, away from harmful external interventions".
She continued: "We are actively working for Syria's reconstruction and recovery and the safe and voluntary return of refugees".
She pointed out that the next steps aim to "mobilize more investments and raise the level of our partnership".
The meeting comes amid an accelerating rapprochement between Damascus and the European Union, which announced in January a new partnership with Syria and a support package of about 620 million euros for 2026 and 2027.
In May, the European Union fully reapplied the cooperation agreement with Syria, after lifting economic sanctions on it in May 2025, while maintaining sanctions related to security reasons and others targeting figures and entities linked to Bashar al-Assad's former regime.
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