Syria has authorised its banks to process Visa and Mastercard payments, marking a significant step in the country's reintegration into the global financial system following years of isolation. Separately, the European Union has fully reactivated its cooperation agreement with Damascus (Syria's capital and seat of government), with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas describing the move as "a signal of normalisation" — a process that also saw sanctions lifted against Syria's interior and defence ministers. Syria, however, still seeks removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, which remains a key obstacle to its broader economic recovery.