The European Union will re-establish contact with Syria’s new leadership and reopen its delegation in the country, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaia Kalas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today.

Von der Leyen he also said that the EU would increase humanitarian aid to Syria. He warned, however, of the risk of the re-emergence of hard-line Islamic State militants and said this must not be allowed to happen.

The EU delegation in Syria was never officially closed, but there was no accredited EU ambassador in Damascus during the Syrian war.

“We want this delegation to be fully operational again,” Kalas told the European Parliament.

Kalas said she asked the head of the EU delegation to go to Damascus yesterday, Monday, in order to restore contact with the new leadership in Syria and various other organizations.

Von der Leyen told reporters in Ankara after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the EU should step up its “direct engagement” with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that formed spearheading the offensive that led to the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

“However, the lack of predictability calls for utmost caution. The risk of a revival of Daesh (also known as the Islamic State), especially in eastern Syria, is real. We cannot let this happen. And Turkey’s legitimate concerns must be addressed,” he added.

Von der Leyen said the EU will increase humanitarian aid to Syria and plans to help restore basic services such as electricity, water and infrastructure.

Germany, the US and Britain earlier said they would restore contact with HTS.