The heads of French and German diplomacy will meet this Friday, January 3 in Damascus with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Chareh, the first visit at this level by officials from the major Western powers to the new Syrian authorities, whose first steps are being carefully scrutinized.
Jean-Noël Barrot arrived this Friday morning in Damascus, followed by his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, for a visit “under mandate of the European Union”. The two countries want to “foster a peaceful and demanding transition in the service of the Syrians and for regional stability,” said the French Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Information to remember:
⇒ The heads of French and German diplomacy to meet the new Syrian leader
⇒ Israeli army says it intercepted missile and drone fired from Yemen
⇒ Israel bombs Syrian army positions near Aleppo
Visiting Damascus, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs hopes for “a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria”
The heads of French and German diplomacy will meet this Friday in Damascus with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Chareh, the first visit at this level by officials from the great Western powers to the new Syrian authorities, whose first steps are being carefully scrutinized.
Jean-Noël Barrot arrived this Friday morning in the Syrian capital, followed by his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, who stressed that this joint visit took place “under the mandate of the European Union”. Both went to Saydnaya prison, near Damascus, a symbol of the mass repression of Bashar al-Assad’s power.
“A little less than a month ago, new hope arose thanks to the mobilization of Syrians,” declared Jean-Noël Barrot from the headquarters of the French embassy in Damascus. “The hope of a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria,” he added, stressing however that “it is a real hope, but it is a fragile hope.” “France stands today more than ever alongside Syrians to make this hope a reality,” he assured. The embassy was closed in 2012 due to the “bloody repression by the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad”, according to him. “In the coming weeks, depending on the evolution of security conditions, we will gradually prepare the modalities for reestablishing the French presence here in Damascus,” announced the minister.
For her part, Annalena Baerbock affirmed that Germany wanted to help Syria once again become “a safe home for all its inhabitants” and “a functional state, with total control over its territory,” she added.
Israeli army says it intercepts missile and drone fired from Yemen
The Israeli army successively announced this Friday that it had intercepted a missile and a drone coming from Yemen, from where the Houthi rebels have recently launched several attacks on Israel.
The missile was intercepted overnight after entering Israeli territory, the army said, adding that it was examining information on debris that fell in the center of the country, where warning sirens were triggered. She claimed a little later, early in the morning, to have intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli territory.
Israel bombs Syrian army positions near Aleppo
Israel bombed Syrian army positions south of Aleppo on Thursday, the latest of numerous strikes carried out in the country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, an NGO and local residents said. According to residents, huge explosions occurred in the region, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) specifying that the strikes targeted defense and research installations.
The OSDH reports that “at least seven massive explosions were heard, resulting from an Israeli airstrike on defense factories […] south of Aleppo.” No information could immediately be obtained on possible victims.
Al Jazeera denounces the suspension of its broadcast by the Palestinian Authority
The Qatari channel Al Jazeera denounced Thursday the decision of the Palestinian Authority to suspend its broadcasting and its activities in the Palestinian Territories, saying that it was an “attempt to hide the reality” in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority announced this measure on Wednesday evening, accusing the channel of “incitement to sedition” and “interference”. According to the official Wafa news agency, this decision involves the suspension of broadcasting and the freezing of “all activities of the Al Jazeera channel and its bureau in Palestine”, as well as the interruption of work “of all journalists , employees, teams and affiliated channels” until its legal status is changed.