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Europe Today: il ministro siriano parla in esclusiva a Euronews dopo lo storico vertice UE-Siria
Maria Tadeo intervista in esclusiva il ministro degli Esteri siriano Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani dopo il vertice Ue-Siria che ha ristabilito l’Accordo di cooperazione.
ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2026/05/13/europe-today-il-ministro-siriano-degli-esteri-a-euronews-dopo-storici-colloqui-ue-siria
Abbonati, euronews è disponibile in 12 lingue.
Maria Tadeo intervista in esclusiva il ministro degli Esteri siriano Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani dopo il vertice Ue-Siria che ha ristabilito l’Accordo di cooperazione.
ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2026/05/13/europe-today-il-ministro-siriano-degli-esteri-a-euronews-dopo-storici-colloqui-ue-siria
Abbonati, euronews è disponibile in 12 lingue.
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00:14Buongiorno, è Wednesday 13th May, I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today,
00:21your daily digest of European news and context, live here on Euronews.
00:26Coming up in headlines that bring back memories of the global Covid pandemic, Spain has confirmed
00:31a positive hantavirus case among passengers who disembarked from a cruise ship in Tenerife
00:36this week. The World Health Organization says more cases will come but insists there are
00:42no signs of a new pandemic. This as Hungary swears in a brand new government under freshly
00:48elected Prime Minister Peter Maia. The move brings an end to the 16 years of Viktor Orbán's
00:54rule. We'll hear who's who in the new administration with our correspondent in Budapest.
00:59And with the world's attention focused on the deadlock between the US and Iran over the
01:04Strait of Hormuz, Israeli bulldozers have been tearing down Palestinian shops near Jerusalem,
01:09clearing land for a settlement-linked road project. Just this week, the EU signed off
01:14on sanctions against Israeli settlers over violence in the occupied West Bank.
01:19But first, Syria is in the spotlight this week with Damascus holding high-level political
01:24talks with the European Union here in Brussels. In an exclusive sit-down with Euronews, Syria's
01:30foreign minister said the country will not allow a, quote, rushed, unorganised return of Syrian
01:35citizens from Europe. Minister Assad, Hassan al-Shaibani, calls on the European Union to support
01:41the reconstruction of his country after the brutal civil war. Our European editor, Maria Tadeo,
01:47sat down with the minister and is here on set this morning to bring us up to speed. First,
01:51tell us about these talks in Brussels.
01:53Well, Maeve, the talks obviously come at a pivotal moment for Syria. This is a country
01:58that is clearly in a political transition, is coming off of two very difficult decades,
02:05completely turbulent on a political front, a civil war that lasted almost 14 years, very
02:10brutal. Obviously, that also led to a massive wave of Syrians who left the country, many of which,
02:17of course, ended up in Europe. The authorities now in Syria, led by President al-Shara, they argue that
02:25this is a moment to rebuild, reconstruct and make this country more stable. They have,
02:31of course, reached out to the United States. They are in close ties with Turkey, the Gulf countries,
02:37but another key partner in this, and they say this openly, this came up multiple times in my
02:41interview with the foreign minister, is the European Union. At this stage, as it stands,
02:46the European Union has lifted sanctions on Syria to give the economy a breather. It also is now moving
02:52into the full implementation of a cooperation agreement between the two countries. Obviously,
02:57the goal, again, is for the EU to play what they argue would be a stabilizer role in the country.
03:03And for Syria, it's about rebuilding the economy, so you have conditions for people to return and get
03:08this country back on track to the extent that it's possible in the shortest amount of time.
03:13Now, the EU, however, will say to fully restore ties with Syria. The authorities, the government,
03:19there needs to ensure that their minorities, both religious and ethnic, are respected, and they have
03:24equal rights. This principle of inclusivity is incredibly important for Brussels. So the message that
03:29was stressed to the Syrians, as I'm told by a number of diplomats, is that yes, there is a window
03:34of
03:34opportunity. The EU wants to see a partnership that could see this country finally becoming stable
03:39in the Middle East. They also see it as a way to counter what they describe our malign actors,
03:44including Russia. Of course, Assad fled to Moscow immediately after his fall, but they also insist
03:49this principle of inclusivity is incredibly important for the European Union to move ahead.
03:54And the issue, of course, of migration played a big role as well. Well, this is absolutely a huge
03:59topic as it stands, because not just when you look at it through the prism of the EU, but really
04:05European governments, we are seeing that the political landscape in Europe is changing. Obviously,
04:10the discourse around migration, asylum rules, and refugee status, which are three different things,
04:15to some extent, is certainly much tougher. It has really hardened. Germany, which is a country that
04:21took in the highest number of Syrians, has now completely changed its narrative from we will
04:26manage dealing with almost one million people who arrived in Germany, to now the Chancellor saying we
04:31need to accelerate the returns because the war is over and they need to rebuild this country.
04:36That was a question that I put to Syria's Foreign Minister Al-Shabani, and he told me, yes,
04:41they agree there is a need to rebuild the country, but it will not be chaotic. Syria has not committed
04:46to a specific number of people returning to the country. Let's take a look.
04:52There was no agreement on this matter, and there was no agreement on the number of Syrians
04:57to return to Syria. There has been talks about Syrian refugees in Europe and in Germany in particular,
05:02and there are talks and an agreement on a mechanism that will not hinder the process of reconstruction
05:07in Syria today. This is another thing I do not agree with, especially since today European countries
05:13no longer accept granting asylum to those who leave Syria, especially since today they believe
05:18that the situation in Syria evolved with a secure and stable law. However, we have warned against
05:24this matter, that imposing an involuntary and undignified return of Syrians will lead to chaos
05:29in Syria, and that the situation in Syria needs to create an appropriate environment.
05:35And you can watch the rest of that interview on Euronews. But now, EU defence ministers have wrapped
05:42up talks in Brussels, with the bloc's top diplomat, Kaya Callas, expressing frustration over the lack
05:48of progress in boosting arms production here in the EU. A big focus of the talks was also on how
05:54Ukraine
05:54should use a slice of the €90 billion loan for defence acquisitions. Our EU correspondent, Angela Skugins,
06:01asked Estonia's defence minister, that's Hanno Pevkor, how confident he was, though, that these EU funds
06:06won't be misused. This is in light, of course, of the corruption scandal engulfing Selensky's former
06:12chief of staff, Andrew Yermak. Well, we need to have the accountability in place, so there is no
06:18question. I believe it is definitely something Ukrainians are looking into very, like, seriously,
06:27because it's also important for them that there are no, like, rumors or no problems involved with that
06:34kind of assistance, because at the end of the day, they need to get this support up and running for
06:41next
06:41years to come. And then even when the war will be over, or if the war will be over, and
06:46then Ukrainians still need
06:47our assistance, our help, so to rebuild Ukraine and to help them to be a normal European country. So this
06:55is why it is
06:55first and foremost for the Ukrainians to show for their own people and for us that everything is in good
07:02shape.
07:05And talks on security and defence will continue today in Bucharest, in the president of Ukraine's
07:11President Selenskyj and NATO's eastern flank countries. But now moving on, EU institutions are
07:16getting ready for a long bank holiday weekend here in Belgium. But it won't be relaxing, given nerves are high
07:23over President Donald Trump's big trip to China tonight. With Brussels often caught up in the middle of the two
07:29great
07:30superpowers, this trip will be closely watched. Our Jakub Janus tells us why you should watch it too.
07:37For the first time since 2017, Donald Trump visits China. China is China. China. China.
07:44Yeah, I think you got it. Meeting Xi Jinping to discuss Iran, nuclear weapons, trade and AI,
07:50the self-styled dealmaker arrives with a weakened hand. Because let me tell you, you don't have the
07:55cards. And between the increasingly unpopular Iran war at home and domestic courts striking down his
08:02tariffs, Trump needs a win. So your reporters started to wonder, what could this mean for Europe?
08:10Alright, first, the security bargain. Xi Jinping wants a signal that Washington is stepping back
08:15from Taiwan. And if Trump treats the island's security as a bargaining chip to secure China's
08:21help in ending the war in Iran, he might hollow out Europe's own strategic commitments in the Indo-Pacific.
08:27And Trump is also under pressure to relax cheap exports' controls for quick business deals.
08:34And if he trades away this edge, Washington and Beijing will set the global standards for AI alone,
08:40with Europe becoming just a rule-taker, not maker. And finally, there is the trade squeeze.
08:46European firms are already struggling to compete with cheap Chinese goods at home.
08:51So if Trump relaxes tariffs, the flood of cheaper electronic vehicles and steel might result in
08:57European exporters losing their competitive advantage in the US to the same Chinese rivals
09:03that are already flooding European shores. And speaking of trade, let's not forget Trump has
09:09given the EU a deadline until the 4th of July to finalize a new US-EU trade deal or face
09:1525%
09:16and tariffs on cars. And in Brussels, the center-right EPP group is rushing to settle as a weekend Trump
09:23could turn his attention towards Europe next. However, socialists are standing firm,
09:29insisting that European legislation will not be shaped by threats on social media.
09:35Huh! And it's a cliché to say that the Chinese word for crisis,
09:38is translated as a danger and opportunity. And while way is indeed danger, a better translation
09:47for chi is a crucial point. And it seems that for Europe, that crucial point is happening now.
09:59And now for the view from Australia on Trump's China trip and the freshly signed EU-Australia trade deal,
10:05I'm joined here in the studio by the Australian ambassador to the European Union and NATO.
10:09That is Mr. Angus Campbell. Good morning and welcome to Europe Today.
10:12Hi, Maeve. Thanks very much.
10:14Great. So as we're sitting here, President Trump is en route to China with tech leaders like Elon Musk
10:19and Tim Cook. What are you looking out for during this?
10:21Look, it's clearly a very important meeting. And it's important for the two countries. It's important
10:26for the world. A constructive relationship between China and the United States is something that I
10:32think we all hope for. And indeed, there are many issues that if they work together can be of great
10:39benefit to our world. So I wish them success. And I'm very pleased. And I think that we should all
10:46be
10:46very pleased that they are talking and that a summit is occurring. And it's now up to the dialogue
10:54and what outcomes might emerge. And of course, Australia signed a massive trade deal with
10:59Brussels this very year, precisely to reduce dependencies on China for critical raw materials.
11:04Will that work, though? Look, we're delighted with the free trade agreement. The negotiations have
11:10concluded. President von der Leyen visited Australia to make the announcement with Prime Minister
11:14Albanese. The process now sees the agreement go through the ratification mechanisms. But this is a deal
11:24that's been negotiated for 10 years. Very careful, very sensitive, acknowledging concerns and interests on
11:31both sides. And I'm confident that we're seeing a balance deal here, which is comprehensive, which is
11:38going to be a benefit to both sides. And it brings the two communities closer together. Australians trading
11:45into Europe, Europeans trading into Australia, almost all barriers and tariffs removed. It's a good deal.
11:51That's a good deal. But will that help you wean off the dependencies on China?
11:55We have a constructive and a very significant trading relationship with China. And I think that
12:00that's going to continue. But we have a diverse trading relationship across the world. So Australia
12:05trades into North America, into the ASEAN nations, to South Asia, North Asia, into Europe. We're an island
12:15continent, dependent on global trade, on the rules of trade. And free trade agreements matter because
12:23they enable the prosperity for all.
12:27And defence plays a big role as well in this trade deal. Tell us more. And do Australians support the
12:31fact that you're helping Ukraine?
12:32So in parallel to the announcement of the negotiations of a free trade agreement coming to conclusion, there was also
12:40the
12:40announcement of a security and defence partnership between Australia and the EU. And that's another step forward in
12:47building a relationship across the breadth of security and defence, often in areas of hybrid or advanced
12:54technology, or things that are geographically borderless.
12:59And are Australian taxpayers comfortable with this?
13:01And people are very supportive of the idea that we reach out and we build more connections with more
13:07friends on more issues, because by doing so, we are better prepared in a world that's perhaps less
13:13predictable and more complex.
13:15And with a very transactional president as well in the White House. One final question on the social media ban
13:20that
13:20the European Union wants to copy from Australia. Is it working, though? How are you enforcing it?
13:24So the social media ban is about a relationship with large social media companies.
13:29A bipartisan parliamentary concern for the well-being of our children, and indeed the increasing
13:35evidence, scientifically, of that concern. And a relationship with those social media companies
13:42to see their restraint on access until the age of 16 for young people in Australia.
13:49And we think it's the right way to move. And we note that many countries are now looking at similar
13:56models. And I think it's about the effort that you apply and the effort that collectively is applied
14:03to see a change in the normative behaviour of what we understand as social media and how it might affect
14:09our kids.
14:10Indeed, it's certainly been closely watched. Ambassador Campbell, thank you so much for coming into us here
14:13on Europe Today.
14:14Thanks, Mary.
14:15And now to Budapest, where Hungary's new government, led by Péter Maillard, has been officially sworn
14:20in for the next four years. The new Prime Minister promises to restore public trust and rebuild
14:26Hungary's international ties. For the latest, we can head straight to the Hungarian capital
14:30and bring in our correspondent, Joltán Ziboshegy. Good morning, Joltán. Just tell us who is who
14:36in this new government and what are their first priorities?
14:40Good morning, Europe Today. So actually, this new government is really diverse. Peter Maillard
14:46promised during the campaign that nobody can be a minister who was a chief politician in the last
14:54government. But actually, this promise was not fully kept because, for example, the new transport
15:00minister previously was the public transportation company's leader here in Budapest and also a far
15:06relative of Viktor Orbán, while the difference minister served as chief of staff during the
15:11previous political era. The finance minister had also worked as a state of secretary in Viktor Orbán's
15:19second government. But now he promises to introduce the euro around 2013. Most members of the new
15:26cabinet have been close allies for Peter Maillard since two years from the really beginning of his
15:32movement. And most of them, they are conservative. One notable exception is Balint Roof, the minister
15:39leading the prime minister's office, who was a really big critic of the Orbán government and a really
15:47popular podcaster. He promised the biggest investigation in Hungarian history against the corruption cases.
15:55The government also includes internationally respected businessmen. The new interior minister,
16:04for example, is a former leader of Decathlon. And also the economic minister was a top manager for
16:09Shell. Peter Maillard has also a small scandal because he appointed his brother-in-law as a minister of
16:17justice. But after seeing the public rage, it changed his mind. So the technocrat government now tries to
16:24rebuild all the international ties, same as the schools and hospitals. And first and foremost,
16:30the most important, they tried to take home the 10 billion euros EU found what was frozen. And
16:36according to our sources, it's not going to be easy. We hope that all the ministers will work with that
16:43passion, how our health minister was performing his iconic dance, what was viral on the whole internet.
16:50Absolutely. That dance was something else. Joltan Siboshegi, thank you so much for that live update there
16:56from Budapest. Now, moving on, EU ambassadors will be getting together today for the very first time
17:01to come up with a joint plan for containing the spread of the deadly hantavirus.
17:06For an expert opinion, we can bring in now Professor Luke O'Neill from Trinity College in Dublin.
17:12Good morning, Luke O'Neill. Normally, I tell my guests, lovely to have you with us. But in this
17:16case, when I see you, it's normally for bad news. But just tell us, we're hearing the World Health
17:21Organization says there's no risk to the general population and the hantavirus is not like COVID-19.
17:27What is your view here?
17:29That's exactly correct. Yeah, it's not like COVID at all. It's a different virus, different disease,
17:34of course. Very rare, this disease, the hantavirus causes overall, extremely rare. You know,
17:39unfortunately, of course, this outbreak on that cruise ship has happened and we need a bit of
17:42caution because it's got a high mortality is one worry. 40% people might die of this,
17:48but it's extremely rare. It's nothing to worry about at the moment, as long as we contain it
17:52properly, of course, is the key thing. As long as we can contain it properly. But people are
17:55alarmed because the headlines are alarming, bringing us back to those days of COVID. What would your
18:00advice to people be? Don't worry. Don't worry at all at the moment. I mean, let's just keep an eye
18:06on it. And all the great and the good, the CDC in the US, of course, in Europe as well.
18:11Our agencies
18:11are keeping a very close eye on this. I mean, clearly, it's a bit scary given the level of
18:16mortality that we've seen reported. People have died of this virus. It's extremely rare. Remember,
18:21in Argentina, about 100 cases per year out of a population of about 40 million. That's how rare
18:26it is as a disease, you know. But again, it's something to watch. Our initial fear was the virus might
18:31have changed. It might have been worse. That's not the case. It's the Andes strain of Hanta.
18:36And it's been seen for years and years. So we know a fair bit about this.
18:40We do. And of course, more cases are expected after the long isolation periods. And EU ambassadors
18:45will be gathering today here in Brussels for the very first time to discuss this. But of course,
18:49as you say, it's not an emergency. But what would your advice be to those politicians in the room today?
18:56Well, one good thing is it is a real disease in South America. So we may learn more about it
19:00anyway from this incident that might help the situation in South America where it's more common.
19:05And the second thing is, of course, we need to be a little bit cautious. You can understand why
19:08they're meeting because it's all over the media. European citizens are concerned, of course. So
19:13anything we can do to reassure people is the most important thing, I feel. And at the moment,
19:17you're right. The funny thing about this virus is it can incubate in the body for 40 days.
19:20In other words, you can catch it. No symptoms for a week or two. Hence the 42-day quarantine.
19:26There's two Irish people, many nationalities, stuck in quarantine for the next few weeks,
19:30just in case the disease emerges. And that makes perfect sense to keep an eye on these people.
19:35OK, Professor Luke O'Neill, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your expo
19:38opinion with us here on Europe Today on Euronews. And thank you so much for tuning in,
19:43as always, for more news on the hantavirus or any of the stories we're covering for you here.
19:48take a look at Euronews.com. And you can reach out to us, of course, drop us a line.
19:52Europe today at Euronews.com. That is our email address. We love hearing from you.
19:57Take care, though, and see you soon here on Euronews.
20:00Euronews.
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20:25Euronews.
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20:38Euronews.
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20:55Grazie a tutti.
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