The European Union has decided to extend sanctions against Syria by one year, until June 1, 2019, the EU Council said in a statement on Monday.

Axar.az informs citing Sputnik.

"On 28 May 2018, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2019. Given the ongoing repression of the civilian population, the EU decided to maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters, in line with the EU strategy on Syria," the document read.

The European Union introduced sanctions "against Syria and persons responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population" in May 2011, during the Arab Spring protests, which led to the ongoing civil war in the country.

In 2017 EU also imposed restrictions on Syrian officials who relate to the development an the use of chemical weapons in the country, with over 250 individuals targeted by the sanctions for the involvement in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population. Damascus strongly denied those accusations, also noting that the international organizations didn't find any evidence of the chemical weapons development by the Syrian government.

In its turn, the US ruled out any American reconstruction support to Assad-controlled territories in the war-weary country.