German And French Foreign Ministers Arrive In Damascus

The first foreign ministers of major Western countries have visited the new rulers of Syria.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot have arrived in Damascus on an unannounced visit, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, January 3, Deutsche Welle reports.

Among others, they plan to meet with the country's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, under whose leadership the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad on December 8 last year.

Baerbock and Barrot are the first foreign ministers of major Western countries to be received in Damascus by the new Syrian leadership. They are making the visit “on behalf of the EU”, according to a statement from the German Foreign Ministry published before Baerbock's departure from Berlin. Germany intends to help Syria carry out an “inclusive, peaceful transfer of power, achieve social reconciliation and rebuild” the country, the document says.

According to Annalena Baerbock, a resumption of relations is possible between Germany and Syria, as well as Europe as a whole and Syria, but it is linked to “clear expectations from the new rulers” in Damascus. This also includes equal rights for women and men in Syria, as well as for all ethnic and religious groups in this country. “We will continue to judge HTS by its actions,” Baerbock said.

Ahead of Baerbock and Barro's visit, a group of German diplomats led by German Foreign Ministry Commissioner for the Middle East Tobias Tunkel met with Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 17. The European Union has also begun to establish contacts with the new Syrian authorities. On behalf of Brussels, German diplomat Michael Ohnmacht visited Damascus in the second half of December.

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