The United Nations Security Council will convene on Tuesday for its regular monthly briefing on Syria, chaired by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), are scheduled to brief the Council. Closed consultations will follow the public session.
The meeting comes as Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group—designated a terrorist organisation by the UN—pursues a diplomatic campaign aimed at restoring Syria’s international standing.
On May 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the lifting of all U.S. sanctions on Syria following a summit with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Saudi Arabia. The decision was reportedly made at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, according to the White House.
At the summit, Trump outlined five conditions for full normalization: establishing diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, expelling all foreign fighters from Syria, removing Palestinian militant groups, cooperating against the resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS), and assuming responsibility for ISIS detention centres. These demands are expected to be reiterated during Tuesday’s Council session.
On May 20, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said EU foreign ministers had agreed to lift economic sanctions on Syria, contingent upon tangible progress on political and institutional reforms.
Pedersen welcomed the EU’s move, saying that lifting sanctions “could unlock regional support and essential services.”
Greece supports a stable and prosperous Syria as vital to regional security, but its backing is not unconditional. Athens insists that the suspension of sanctions be gradual, reversible, and based on demonstrable commitments to inclusive governance.
Greek officials have called for the transitional government in Damascus to respect the rights of all religious and ethnic communities, ensure political inclusivity, and refrain from foreign interference.
Athens has also emphasized the importance of adherence to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and urged Syrian authorities to consider the interests of their European neighbors.