The Elysee Palace announced that France and Syria have initiated a process to return 51 million euros to Syria, funds that were confiscated as part of asset forfeiture belonging to the Assad family, according to the official statement.
The Elysee Palace confirmed on Tuesday that France and Syria have begun a process to return 51 million euros in frozen assets that were seized from the Assad family. The funds were confiscated as part of asset forfeiture proceedings. The announcement marks a rare diplomatic move between France and the Syrian regime, which has been under Western sanctions for years. The move comes amid broader regional trends of frozen asset repatriation, as The Zioneer has previously reported on similar processes involving Iran and Gulf states, including a reported $10 billion release by the UAE and negotiations over $6 billion frozen in Qatar. However, the French-Syrian case is distinct in that it involves direct state-to-state cooperation on returning assets to the Assad government. The timing and details of the transfer remain unclear.
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