European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Brussels should step up its "direct engagement" with Syria's new Islamist rulers after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"We must now step up and continue our direct engagement with the HTS and other factions," she told a news conference in Ankara, referring to the HTS rebels who toppled Syria's strongman leader.
The president also stressed that a resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria must not be allowed, AFP reported.
"The risk of an ISIS resurgence is real. We cannot allow that to happen," she said at a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
She announced that the EU would give Turkey an extra €1 billion to care for the Syrian refugees it is hosting.
"An additional €1 billion for 2024 is on the way," she said, pointing out that it would "contribute to migration and border management, including the voluntary return of Syrian refugees." | BGNES
