Germany’s foreign minister says sanctions against Syrian officials responsible for war crimes must remain in place but called for a “smart approach” to provide relief to the Syrian population after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad.

Syria's economy has been decimated by more than a decade of civil war and sanctions that have severed it from the global financial system.

Germany has advocated a relaxation of some EU sanctions against Syria following the ouster of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad as Saudi Arabia hosted Sunday an international conference on the situation in the war-shattered country.