Hadja Lahbib received a red carpet welcome last week when she became the first European commissioner to visit Damascus, Syria's capital, and meet with the country's new leaders after the toppling of Bashar Assad last month.

European Union foreign ministers have agreed to begin lifting sanctions on Syria, but insist that the measures should be reimposed if they see any abuses by the country’s new rulers

European Union foreign ministers have agreed on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday. "While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken,