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During her visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock outlined clear conditions for European support of Syria’s new leadership and emphasized that Germany and the European Union are committed to fostering a peaceful and free future for Syria.
However, speaking at the conclusion of a joint trip with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on behalf of the EU, Baerbock acknowledged that such an outcome remains uncertain.
“A new beginning can only happen if the new Syrian society grants a place in the political process to all Syrians, women and men, of every ethnic or religious group, and provides rights and protection,” Baerbock said.
She said a political dialogue involving all ethnic and religious groups, especially women, is now needed. Baerbock noted that Europe would support Syria, but would not become a sponsor of new Islamist structures.
No handshake for Baerbock
Syria’s new de facto ruler and leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) received an EU delegation led by the German foreign minister and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday.
Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted the ministers in the former palace of toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus. Al-Sharaa’s HTS led a coalition of armed groups that drove al-Assad from power around four weeks ago.
The hard-line Islamist did not greet Baerbock with a handshake, a gesture he has consistently avoided when meeting women, but he extended his hand to Barrot.
After the Frenchman had initially placed his right hand on his heart in greeting, he then briefly took al-Sharaa’s hand.
The diplomats, whose travel plans were not announced in advance, were in Syria to discuss potential conditions for resuming relations between Syria’s new de facto government and the European Union.
Baerbock said later when asked by a journalist that she had already realized when she arrived that there would be no handshake.
In the conversation with al-Sharaa, however, she then made it very clear that women’s rights were an indicator of how free a society was.
Baerbock and Barrot are the first EU foreign ministers to visit Syria since al-Assad’s overthrow.
They, on behalf of the EU’s foreign representative Kaja Kallas, held talks with representatives of the rebel-formed transitional government.
Al-Sharaa was formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The HTS group emerged from the al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the al-Qaeda network, and was previously affiliated with Islamic State.
The group has since broken away from both organizations, and al-Sharaa has sought to portray himself as a moderate in recent months, although HTS continues to be designated a terrorist organization by the EU and the United States, among others.
Baerbock had stated at the beginning of her visit to Syria that she would continue to judge the HTS by its actions.
‘Unimaginable’ horrors at al-Assad prison
Both foreign ministers toured the notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus on Friday, a symbol of the brutal rule under deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Members of the White Helmets, the Syrian civil defence organization, told the visiting European diplomats about conditions and atrocities committed by the al-Assad regime at the prison, popularly known simply as the “human slaughterhouse.”
Since 2011, human rights activists have documented systematic mass executions, torture and the disappearance of thousands of prisoners there during Syria’s brutal civil war.
While touring the prison, Baerbock said that efforts to support rights groups in Syria must continue and that the international community must support efforts to bring members of the deposed al-Assad regime to justice.
Barrot also asserted French determination to assist in investigating the crimes committed there.
“You simply can’t imagine the horror of some places,” Baerbock said, expressing her shock. “But people have gone through hell here near the Syrian capital Damascus. They were killed using methods that are unimaginable in a civilized world.”
Executions and torture were already documented during the reign of Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez, who died in 2000. Father and son ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 50 years.
Warning against Syria turning away from moderate course
Baerbock told Syria’s transitional government in Damascus that Europe would support the country as long as the political dialogue includes all of Syria’s ethnic and religious groups.
Even after al-Assad’s fall, hostile militias are fighting for power, and the HTS-backed transitional government does not hold control over large parts of the country.
Troops from several foreign powers, including Turkey, the US, Israel and Russia, are also stationed in different parts of the country.
Baerbock was non-committal when asked whether she would support the lifting of sanctions against Syria in the near future. Such a step would depend on how the political process proceeds, she said.
Baerbock said she and Barrot travelled to Damascus “to discuss whether such an inclusive political process is possible and whether human rights can truly be guaranteed. The entire question of lifting sanctions is tied to this.”
Scepticism over the rebels’ past
“We know where the HTS ideologically comes from, what they have done in the past,” Baerbock stated. But she said there is also a desire for moderation and understanding with other key players.
The initiation of talks with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a significant sign in this direction, she noted.
Given this, Baerbock stated, “We will continue to judge the HTS by their actions. Despite all scepticism, we must not miss the opportunity now to support the people in Syria at this crucial crossroads.”
Germany is also working to ensure that the intra-Syrian process is not disrupted from outside, the foreign minister explained.
This, she noted, includes respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by all neighbouring states. Though she did not mention Turkey and Israel by name, those countries have been accused of pursuing their own interests in Syria.
Additionally, it is time for Russia to leave its military bases in Syria, she said. Moscow has been one of al-Assad’s most important allies for years.
More than 16 million Syrians rely on humanitarian aid
Syria has been largely destroyed after nearly 14 years of civil war and is contaminated with landmines and other ordnance.
The country lacks labour and skilled workers, the economy is contracting, and the currency has lost more than 90% of its value since 2020. Public services have collapsed. More than 16 million people rely on humanitarian aid.
Nearly 1 million Syrians in Germany
In Baerbock’s discussions in Damascus, the potential return of Syrian refugees from Germany, as supported by the transitional Syrian government, is likely to be a topic.
Around 975,000 Syrians currently live in Germany, according to the German Interior Ministry. Most arrived in the country since 2015 as a result of the civil war.
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