Italy has decided to appoint an ambassador to Syria, marking the first move after European countries called for a reassessment of relations and engagement with the Syrian regime, including Italy among them.
Reuters reported today, Friday, July 26, that Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that Stefano Ravagnan, who was the Foreign Ministry’s special envoy to Syria, has been appointed as ambassador and is expected to take his post in Damascus soon.
The appointment of an ambassador to Damascus aims to “turn the spotlight” on the country, according to Foreign Minister Tajani. With this move, Italy became the first of the G7 countries to reopen its embassy in Damascus since March 2011.
The Group of Seven (G7) includes the United States, Japan, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy.
Italy withdrew its embassy from Damascus in 2012 and suspended its diplomatic activities in Syria due to the regime’s “unacceptable violence” against citizens.
Reuters pointed out that there are currently six EU embassies operating in Damascus: Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Reassessment of relations
Tajani said that the appointment of a new ambassador in Damascus “aligns with the message we sent to Josep Borrell (the EU’s top diplomat), to turn the spotlight on Syria.”
On July 22, the British newspaper Financial Times reported that European countries, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers, called for a reassessment of relations with Syria and engagement with the regime.
The countries are Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The letter stated that the goal of these countries is a “more active, results-oriented, and practical policy in Syria, which would allow us to increase our political influence and the effectiveness of our humanitarian aid.”
The ministers proposed creating an EU envoy to Syria who could communicate not only with Syrian actors but also with other countries in the region, in addition to re-engaging with the Syrian regime’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels.
They also suggested discussing the impact of the EU’s sanction system on the Syrian regime, considering that “overcompliance in the banking system” has had “unintended negative effects on the population.”