French and German Foreign Ministers Visit Syria for the First Time After Assad’s Fall
Damascus, The Gulf Observer: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Damascus on Friday for high-level talks with Syria’s new government, marking the first visit by European foreign ministers to the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
This visit, also the first by European diplomats since the severing of EU-Syria diplomatic ties nearly 12 years ago, represents a significant shift in Europe’s stance toward Syria. During their trip, both ministers visited Sednaya prison, a symbol of the human rights abuses committed under Assad’s rule.
Speaking on behalf of the European Union (EU), Baerbock and Barrot met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Syria’s new administration, as well as representatives from Syria’s civil society. The diplomats expressed the EU’s readiness to support Syria’s political restart, peaceful transfer of power, reconstruction, and social reconciliation.
Baerbock emphasized that the “brutal Assad regime” was over, and a new chapter for Syria had begun, urging that Syrians now have the chance to shape their future. She reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to backing Syria’s peaceful transition, the reconciliation of society, and reconstruction efforts, alongside the ongoing humanitarian aid provided to the Syrian people.
Barrot, in a statement on social media, echoed this sentiment, stating that France and Germany stand with the Syrian people in all their diversity and aspire to promote a “sovereign, stable and peaceful” Syria.
