BRUSSELS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is committed to Syria's unity, independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, EU representatives said in a joint statement with the Foreign Minister of the Syrian interim government, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, following Tuesday's conference on Syria in Brussels.
The joint statement was issued a day after the EU pledged around 2.5 billion euros (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) in aid for Syria to support its recovery following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime last December.
The EU plans to organize an event with Syrian civil society later in 2025, though no definite date was given.
According to the statement, the EU will continue to support refugee-hosting countries "as long as conditions for voluntary, safe, sustainable, and dignified returns are not fully met." ■