The European Commission has proposed reinstating the 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria as part of efforts to restore relations with the country's new leadership, according to a statement on the EC's official website.
"The European Commission proposed fully reinstating the EU-Syria cooperation agreement, which would mark a new step in bilateral relations",
the statement read.
Brussels also proposed eliminating customs duties on imports of Syrian industrial goods into the EU.
In addition, quantitative restrictions on mutual trade should be lifted, the official statement said.
These initiatives must now be approved by all member states in the European Union Council.
Brussels suspended the agreement in 2011 as part of sanctions imposed on Damascus under former President Bashar al-Assad.
