Dear Massimilano Salini and Željana Zovko, 

Dear civil society representatives,

Dear participants and guests,

Thank you for your invitation to your event today.

“Dont forget Syrians!” – I completely agree with the title of this roundtable.

Although Syria may not be the center of attention right now due to the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, its stability is crucial for the broader region and the European Union.

The recent bombing of the Mar Elias church, which I strongly condemned, serves as a stark reminder of Syrias volatile situation and potential future risks.

We have a strong interest in a smooth and successful transition after the fall of the Assad regime.

This transition must be Syrian-led, owned, peaceful, and inclusive.

There is a clear opportunity for a unified, prosperous, and democratic Syria.

We must remain fully engaged to achieve this

• for the sake of Syrians and
• for stability and prosperity in the entire region.

I am firmly convinced that the European Union, alongside the international community, has a responsibility to support this process.

I am very grateful to all international donors for their pledges at our latest Syria Conference in March.

It was the first time we could hold it together with Syrians.

We managed to raise 5.8 billion Euros for this and next year, with Team Europe remaining the leading donor.

I was in Syria three weeks ago.

It was the first visit of a College Member after the formation of the new transitional government in March and the full lifting of EU sanctions in May.

I wanted to send a strong message of support and express our openness to begin a new chapter of partnership.

It was an opportunity to meet with transitional President Al-Sharaa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Al-Shaibani, and other members of the transitional government.

I also discussed with representatives of the Syrian civil society from various ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The statements from representatives of the transitional government highlighted success stories and good progress regarding the inclusiveness of the transition process.

The road ahead is still long.

We are all aware of the many challenges for society and state-building that lie ahead for Syria.

However, there is an undeniable weariness of war and a strong desire among all to turn the page and rebuild the country.

This common hope for a fresh start should be the starting point and baseline of our approach.

I announced the 175 million Euro socio-economic recovery package and sent a clear signal of Syrias reintegration into the EUs Southern Neighbourhood policy.

I offered the possibility of a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership once conditions allow.

I was also pleased to bring the good news that we are working on reintegrating Syria into EU programs. The program we started with is Erasmus+.

At the same time, I stressed that our expectations for concrete deliverables from the transitional authorities are high - given the steps already taken by the EU.

All Syrians need to be included and protected - regardless of their gender and ethnic or religious background.

In meetings with the transitional government, I was impressed by their eagerness to transition from humanitarian assistance to recovery and reconstruction, and to cooperation among partners.

The President, the Minister of Finance, and the Central Bank Governor emphasized the importance of investments by European companies and support for institutional and capacity building.

And this is where we are focusing.

Capacity-building is one of the pillars of our 175 million Euro package.

A functioning public administration is a prerequisite for rebuilding the country - and for revitalizing economic activity in both urban and rural areas, which is our second pillar.

Our third pillar of support is justice and accountability. This is strongly needed to fully restore the confidence of both the Syrian people and international donors and investors in the efficiency and integrity of governance in Syria.

In the same vein, Syrians who wish to return to their country will only do so when they feel confident about the path to stability and prosperity, as well as about the protection of human rights and inclusivity.

My meeting with representatives of Syrias vibrant civil society was truly inspiring. I was impressed by how motivated they are to finally rebuild a unified, democratic, and prosperous country.

They spoke vividly about the importance of dialogue, the role of culture in the reconciliation process, and the significance of justice, accountability, and tolerance in unifying a deeply divided nation.

It was also very motivating to hear how much they appreciated the European Unions support over the last 14 years.

Civil society has been and remains a key pillar of the European Unions support to Syria.

It was in this very House that we have been organizing the Day of Dialogue in the margins of the Syria Conferences, the largest civil society event gathering Syrians.

This year, for the first time, we intend to organize this major civil society event in Syria.

My hope is that conditions will allow for this to be organized not only in Damascus but also to include events in other parts of the country.

We need this process to be rooted in and reach every corner of Syria.

But before that, I am grateful for the organization of this roundtable on the “voices from the field”.

You, members of the civil society in Syria, play a key role in the peaceful and inclusive transition of the country.

Thank you for your indispensable contribution to a vibrant and more democratic society.

At this critical juncture for you and your country, we wish to remain a trusted partner and friend.

Thank you.