Germany on Monday kicked off a new pledging round of aid for Syria, as the EU hosts a donor drive for the war-torn country after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
For the first time, the Syrian authorities will be represented at the annual conference in Brussels -- with interim foreign minister Assaad al-Shibani set to attend.
Western and regional powers are desperate to steer Syria onto the road to stability after 14 years of civil war that have sent millions of refugees over its borders.