On Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot arrived in Damascus for meetings with Syria’s new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. He is also the leader of the terrorist-classified Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS.
The visit is the first top-level one from the EU since Syria’s previous regime and President Bashar al-Assad were overthrown in December.
Ahead of the meeting with al-Sharaa in the presidential palace in Damascus, the foreign ministers expressed a hope that Syria is now facing a new future and a new relationship with Europe, although there was some caution.
“A Fragile Hope”
Jean-Noël Barrot stated that France and Germany “stand side by side with the Syrian people and all the diversity of which it consists” and that there is hope for a “sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria, but that it is a fragile hope” .
After the meeting, Annalena Baerbock held a press conference where she stressed that credible security guarantees for the Kurds must be put in place in Syria.
Since the change of power, fighting has continued in the Kurdish-controlled north and northeast of the country between Kurdish forces and militia groups supported by Turkey.
According to Baerbock, during the meeting with al-Sharaa, she also clearly explained her position that all groups within the population must be included in the transformation of the country that it is now facing.
Requirements for support
At the same time, she spoke about the possibility for the EU to support Syria’s reconstruction financially.
– Europe will support, but Europe will not sponsor new Islamist structures, said Annalena Baerbock, reports Reuters.
After the change of power, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has appealed to the countries that have sanctions against Syria to lift them. He also wants the terrorist classification that several countries have of Islamist HTS to be removed.
– Now, after everything that has happened, the sanctions must be lifted because they were aimed at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated the same, he said in an interview with BBC.