The Syrian people “can be sure that Cyprus will be by their side”, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Tuesday as European Union member states gave the green light to the lifting of economic sanctions on the country.

“Cyprus’ position has been consistent,” he said, adding that the government has favoured a “more for more approach” – a gradual lifting of sanctions in return for progress in Syria on human rights and the rule of law.

The lifting of sanctions, he said, must be done “on the basis of … conditionality, combined with an effective monitoring and control mechanism”.

“As for Cyprus, as long as we have good neighbourly relations and this is ensured, the people of Syria can be sure that Cyprus will be by their side,” he said.

On the matter of the EU’s planned way forward regarding the planned lifting of sanctions, he said the government now believes there is a mechanism to ensure the progress Cyprus demands in Syria, and that the EU is “moving in the right direction”.

“There is an inherent conditionality. The framework is there, and we all need to move in a coordinated manner and based on the development following [United States President Donald] Trump’s statements,” he said.

He added that the government is “in contact with the Syrian side on a bilateral level” and “continuing the dialogue”.

“Our goal is to ensure that the Syrian people will have the support they need … which comes with the conditionality which is an integral part of such a process,” he said.

Trump had made a surprise announcement last week, saying he would remove all US sanctions on Syria, following a meeting with the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

On Tuesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed the forthcoming lifting of EU sanctions, saying that the move “expresses the regional and international will to support Syria”.

“The Syrian people today have a very important and historic opportunity to rebuild their country … Anyone who wants to invest in Syria, the doors are open,” he said.

Earlier in the year, President Nikos Christodoulides had promised that any lifting of sanctions on Syria “would not be permanent”, and that the Cypriot government’s greenlighting of a lifting of sanctions would “depend on the developments we see on individual issues”.

He said the factors on which the temporary lifting of sanctions will include that the Syrian government be “inclusive”, that there be an end to “the civilian population being victims on the basis of their ethnic or religious origin”, and that international law prevail.

In February, Kombos visited Damascus to meet both al-Sharaa and al-Shaibani.

“The purpose of this visit was to express the Republic of Cyprus’ will to assist with a positive agenda, in a positive perspective for Syria after the fall of the Assad regime, both at a bilateral level and within the European Union,” he said at the time.