France

While Damascus’ rapprochement with the Arab World is accelerating, the United States and members of the European Union, among which France features prominently, still claim that their policy on Syria is unchanged. However, a growing number of French analysts have reported that powerful economic lobbies are pushing the French presidential palace to restore ties with the regime in the hope that France will reap economic benefits. The recent visit by a board member of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce to Paris only lends credence to these claims.

A new report surveying the varying socio-economic conditions in IDP camps across all four zones of control in Syria.

An American bank was fined nearly USD 100 million for violating Syria, Iran, and Sudan sanctions regulations. 

A representative from the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, strongly connected to Iran, recently participated in an Arab-French Economic Summit organised in Paris. It was the first time since the beginning of the Syrian popular uprising in March 2011 that the French capital hosted a representative from an official Syrian business group.

During a conference held in Brussels on March 20, the international community secured close to EUR 1 billion in grants aimed at providing support to Syria. The funding will be used “to help meet humanitarian needs and support early recovery and resilience.”

In this interview, The Syria Report speaks with Mohammad Hassno, CEO of the Assistance Coordination Unit, a Syrian opposition organisation that coordinates humanitarian efforts and facilitates the flow of information between donors, executive agencies, and local partners.