The EU has agreed to lift sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministers as part of a broader policy shift toward Damascus, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday.

Axar.az informs, citing Anadolu Agency, that "We also agreed to lift the sanctions on Syria’s interior and defense ministers," Kallas told reporters following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, adding that the decision is linked to efforts to reset relations and support political transition in the country after years of suspension under the Bashar Assad era.

EU ministers also agreed to fully resume the EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement, previously partially suspended, and to launch a high-level political dialogue with Syrian authorities later in the day.

She said that the EU is preparing to "frontload" security and defense cooperation in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising regional tensions, and warned that the situation remains fragile following recent developments involving Iran.