Six member states of the European Union have called for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking, according to a paper seen by Reuters. EU foreign ministers are set to discuss relaxing Syria sanctions during a meeting in Brussels on Jan.

Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who has repeatedly called for lifting long-standing sanctions, attended the talks alongside foreign ministers and representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries.

During a gathering Sunday, Saudi Arabia urged top European diplomats to lift sanctions against Syria to boost rebuilding the country and its economy after last month’s overthrow

The new administration's approach to governing must include "different groups" and women, and "no radicalization", the European Union's foreign-policy chief said.

European Union foreign ministers will meet in late January to discuss easing sanctions imposed on Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief said Sunday. However, she said the move would depend on Syria's new rulers carrying out an inclusive political transition after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Saudi Arabia held a meeting with leading diplomats of the European Union. The main topic was Syria, NBC News reports. According to the news outlet, European and Middle Eastern diplomats met in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the future of Syria.