Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa begin their tour today, Thursday, which includes Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. This visit follows the adoption in November of the Mediterranean Pact, which aims to promote cooperation, prosperity, and lasting stability in the region.

According to a European statement issued in Brussels regarding the visit's program, the two presidents will meet in Amman today, Thursday, January 8, with His Majesty King Abdullah II for the first EU-Jordan summit, reaffirming the EU's commitment to Jordan as a key strategic partner in the Middle East and Mediterranean. The three leaders will review progress made in implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed a year ago, and outline future priorities.

According to the EU institutions in Brussels, the summit will focus on bilateral relations and deepening the political and economic partnership, as stipulated in the EU-Jordan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in January 2025. The two leaders will also discuss current global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, security, trade, and migration. The statement quoted European Council President Antonio Costa as saying: "Jordan is a strategic partner of the European Union and plays a pivotal role in the Middle East. The European Union highly values ​​Jordan's leading role and generosity in hosting Syrian refugees for more than a decade." Our first bilateral summit will provide a great opportunity to strengthen our partnership and address common challenges in these difficult times.

The summit will begin at 12:00 PM Brussels time.

Tomorrow, Friday, January 9, Presidents von der Leyen and Costa will travel to Damascus to meet with President al-Sharaa and deepen political and economic ties with the country. The European Union reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting Syria’s recovery, reconstruction, and peace.

Later that day, the two leaders will travel to Beirut to meet with President Aoun and strengthen the EU-Lebanon partnership, focusing on prosperity, security, and stability.
According to EU institutions, the visit follows a meeting between von der Leyen and the head of Syria’s transitional government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last September, where they discussed ways to support stability and the political transition in Syria. Nearly a year after the overthrow of the previous regime, Syria has entered a delicate transitional phase, ending fourteen years of armed conflict. The new government is under increasing international pressure to protect minorities, particularly the Alawites, who have suffered massacres in recent months. The past.

On May 20, the European Union officially lifted all economic sanctions imposed under the previous regime. Since its fall, European officials have made numerous visits to Damascus, bringing with them announcements of various forms of aid for reconstruction and recovery.

The most recent of these was in March, when the EU pledged approximately €2.5 billion to support Syrians both within their country and in neighboring states during 2025 and 2026.

Brussels' message: Hope is no longer a distant dream.

Ultraven der Leyen announced this commitment during her speech at the opening of the ninth European Council summit in Brussels in March of last year, describing the Syrian situation as a historic transformation, saying: "Syria is a new country." Today, the dreams and aspirations of the Syrian people are no longer suspended.

She considered that signs of hope are closer to realization for the first time in decades, praising the steps taken by the new Syrian authorities since assuming responsibility.
In a direct reference to the bloody events that took place in Latakia Governorate on March 6, von der Leyen stressed that the government's commitment to holding perpetrators accountable, protecting minorities, and forming an inclusive government constitutes essential pillars for any serious national reconciliation process.

European Support for Syria

She affirmed that the European Union will continue to address urgent humanitarian needs first, but it is not only committed to this, but also seeks to support economic and social recovery, alongside a comprehensive political transition.

She noted expectations of the return of 1.5 million Syrian refugees to their country this year, in addition to the potential return of two million internally displaced persons to their areas of origin, emphasizing that the EU is working with host countries and UN organizations to facilitate this return.
Von der Leyen highlighted the importance of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Sheibani's participation in the Brussels Conference, considering his presence a pivotal moment in the relationship between Both sides.

She extended a clear invitation to him to outline his people's priorities and the government's plans for rebuilding state institutions, emphasizing: "We are ready to move forward with you every step of the way. Europe is ready to play its part."