Saudi Arabia urges Syria sanctions relief at talks with regional, EU diplomats

Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria after meetings with top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe that focused on the war-ravaged country's future.

The Gulf kingdom, the region's biggest economy, is seeking to increase its influence in Syria after the opposition groups toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last month, analysts say.

"We stressed the importance of lifting unilateral and international sanctions imposed on Syria, as their continuation hinders the aspirations of the Syrian people to achieve development and reconstruction," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said after Sunday's talks concluded in Riyadh.

The agenda included a meeting of Arab officials as well as a broader gathering that also included Türkiye, France, the European Union and the United Nations.

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the main rebel group in the alliance that overthrew Assad, is pushing for sanctions relief. His administration is represented at the Riyadh talks by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

Western powers, including the United States and the EU, imposed heavy sanctions on Assad's government over his brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011, which triggered civil war.

Some US sanctions long pre-date the conflict, with Washington labelling Syria a "state sponsor of terrorism" in 1979 and adding further measures in 2004.

More than 13 years of conflict have killed over half a million Syrians, left infrastructure destroyed and the people impoverished, while millions have fled their homes, including to Europe.

The US Treasury Department said last Monday it would ease the enforcement of restrictions affecting essential services such as energy and sanitation.

But officials in Washington say they will wait to see progress before any wider easing of sanctions.