ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Syria on Monday welcomed an EU decision to ease sanctions on the war-ravaged country's key economic sectors, especially in energy, transport, and banking.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani described the EU move as a key step to help reconstruct the country and alleviate “the suffering” of Syrians.

"We welcome the European Union's decision to suspend some of the sanctions on specific sectors, which we see as a step towards alleviating the suffering of our people," Shaibani said in a post on X, calling the sanctions that date to Bashar al-Assad's era “unjust”.

Since the fall of Assad in December, the interim Syrian government in Damascus has been repeatedly calling on the international community, notably the US and European countries to lift sanctions imposed on the former Assad regime, so the country could begin rebuilding across all walks of life, and pave the way for the return of millions of Syria who have sought asylum in neighboring and European countries. 

After the EU decided to ease the sanctions, Syria’s economy minister, Bassel Abdel Hanan, met with the World Bank's Middle East director on Monday to discuss resuming cooperation with the lender, which was suspended under Assad. 

"The minister of economy, Mr Bassel Abdel Hanan, discussed with World Bank's director for the Middle East, Jean-Christophe Carret, the resumption of relations between the bank and Syria as well as the prospects for their development," the official SANA news agency said.

Abdel Hanan proposed the establishment of a "joint committee between the ministry and the bank to evaluate a new start".

He added that "the nature of the financing granted by the bank will determine the type of projects that will be financed", pointing to the energy, agriculture, industry, and infrastructure sectors in particular, SANA said.

Abdel Hanan also said there was a need for "loans to manufacturers whose facilities have been destroyed so they can resume their activities, and raised the possibility of creating an investment fund to support industry, provided the (bank) offers sanctions in this area".

The World Bank had previously supported Syria but suspended all operations after the civil war broke out in 2011.