The European Union intends to establish contact "soon" with Syria’s new leadership on an "operational" rather than "political" level, a senior EU official said Friday.

"We are considering establishing contact [...] These interactions will take place at the operational level, and we hope they will happen soon," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, these contacts "will not be at the political level or involve senior officials," the official stressed, adding that the EU has a chargé d'affaires for Syria based in Beirut.

Following an 11-day offensive, the rebel coalition, dominated by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, seized control of Damascus on Sunday, ending five decades of Assad family rule.

EU foreign ministers, set to meet Monday in Brussels, aim to "send messages" to Syria’s new authorities regarding respect for minorities, human rights and the country’s territorial integrity, the official added.

The EU is particularly concerned about the treatment of minorities in Syria, where Sunnis, Alawites, Christians and Kurds have long coexisted uneasily.

Syria must not repeat the "terrifying scenarios" of Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on Tuesday. At the time, the EU stated it had "no contact" with HTS leaders.

HTS remains designated a terrorist organization by Western countries. The EU imposed sanctions on the group and its leaders in accordance with a 2014 United Nations decision.

However, these sanctions do not prohibit "contacts," according to a European diplomatic source.

HTS, formerly the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, claims to have severed ties with jihadism.

European officials are also concerned about whether Syria's new authorities will maintain or shut down Russia’s two military bases in the country, which are viewed as a threat to regional stability.

"We would be very pleased if the new authorities decided to expel them, to close these bases, but it is their decision to make," the senior EU official said Friday.

Russia operates two military bases in Syria — one aerial and one naval — that were used to support ousted President Bashar al-Assad before his escape. These bases are critical to maintaining Moscow’s influence in the region.

This week, Russia announced it was "in contact" with Syria’s new authorities regarding the future of these military installations.

On Saturday, Kallas is set to attend a crisis summit with foreign ministers from several Arab countries, Turkey and the UN's special envoy to Syria.