Sanctions must stay in place against al-Assad allies with ‘serious crimes’: Germany

Sanctions against allies of ousted President Bashar al-Assad who “committed serious crimes” during the Syrian civil war must remain in place, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday.

Berlin proposed a “smart approach” to sanctions so the Syrian population could get some relief, Baerbock told reporters in Riyadh as she joined western and Arab foreign ministers for a regional conference on Syria with Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani.

“Syrians now need a quick dividend from the transition of power, and we continue to help those in Syria who have nothing, as we have done all the years of civil war, we will provide another 50 million euro for food, emergency shelters and medical care,” she added.