Relationship dossier
Spain
Syria
Relationship assessment
Relations strained by the Syrian civil war and diplomatic expulsions
Spain toward Syria
-35Spain closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 and supported European Union sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the Syrian government during the civil war. The scope of subsequent direct Spanish government engagement is unclear.
Syria toward Spain
-30In 2012, the Syrian government declared Spain’s ambassador persona non grata amid diplomatic tensions over the civil war. The extent of later Syrian government engagement with Spain is unclear.
Overall relationship
-30The relationship has been shaped chiefly by Spain’s diplomatic and sanctions response to the Syrian civil war and Syria’s expulsion of Spain’s ambassador. These actions reflect substantial strain, while the extent of later bilateral engagement remains unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations became sharply strained during the Syrian civil war. Spain closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, supported European Union sanctions, and joined other states in diplomatic pressure on the Syrian government. Syria responded by declaring Spain’s ambassador persona non grata. The scope of subsequent direct government engagement, particularly after major political change in Syria, is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Spain’s support for European Union sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the Syrian government during the civil war
- Syria’s 2012 expulsion of Spain’s ambassador
Key developments
Spain closed its embassy in Damascus amid the Syrian civil war.
The Syrian government declared Spain’s ambassador persona non grata.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct Spanish-Syrian government engagement after the major political changes in Syria is unclear.
- The current status and implementation of any bilateral agreements are unclear.