French and German foreign ministers visit Syria
Last Updated on January 5, 2025 6:03 am
The French and German foreign ministers have arrived in the capital Damascus to meet with the new Syrian government. This is the first visit by top European Union (EU) officials to the country since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last month.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock landed in the Syrian capital for the first time on Friday (January 3). In a post on social media, she said that France and Germany stand by the Syrian people. Moreover, they will remain committed to the service of Syrians for regional stability.
Germany’s Annalena Baerbock and France’s Jean-Noël Barrot will hold talks with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Shara’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
During this visit, the two European ministers will also visit the Sednaya prison, a symbol of the brutality of the al-Assad family’s decades-long rule. France and Germany sent low-level delegations to Syria last month.
HTS has been designated a terrorist group by many countries, including the United States and the European Union, due to its links to al-Qaeda in the past. However, there has been debate over whether to remove its terrorist designation after it led an uprising against al-Assad last month.
Source: Al Jazeera