German and French foreign ministers to meet Syria's new rulers in Damascus

3/1/2025 16:58

The foreign ministers of Germany and France will meet Syria's de facto new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa during a trip to the country on Friday on behalf of the European Union, the German and French foreign ministries said.



The ministers, who arrived separately in Damascus on Friday morning, will also meet representatives of Syrian civil society and visit Syria's most notorious prison, the vast Sednaya complex, according to the foreign ministries.



"My trip today - together with my French counterpart and on behalf of the EU - is a clear signal to the Syrians: A new political beginning between Europe and Syria, between Germany and Syria, is possible," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, according to a ministry statement issued before she left for Damascus.



Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot are the first ministers from the EU to visit Syria since rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8 and forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family's decades-long rule.



Barrot expressed his hope "for a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria" after arriving in Damascus, where he also visited the French embassy, which has been closed since 2012.