French, German FMs visit Syria
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Syria early Friday after a trip to neighbouring Lebanon, where he met with senior Lebanese politicians, including veteran parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berry, Euronews reported.
Speaking to journalists at the French embassy in Damascus, Barrot expressed his hopes for a "sovereign, stable and peaceful" Syria.
It was also a "hope that the aspirations of all Syrians can be realised", he added, "but it is a fragile hope".
His trip to Syria, along with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, was aimed at promoting a "peaceful" transition for "the Syrian people and for regional stability", said Barrot in a post on X shortly before arriving in Damascus.
The visit by the French and German foreign ministers was the first by a major Western power since Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was ousted on December 8 by rebels led by the Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In an interview with FRANCE 24 and a group of foreign journalists a week later, HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa called on Western nations to lift the international sanctions imposed on the Assad regime.
In a statement issued before leaving for Damascus Friday, Baerbock said her visit was "a clear signal" – on behalf of the EU – to open the way for a "new political beginning between Europe and Syria, between Germany and Syria".
She added that she was travelling to Syria with an "outstretched hand" after Assad's ouster and more than 13 years of civil war, which have devastated the country. "We now have a goal in mind that millions of Syrians also long for: that Syria can once again become a respected member of the international community," she added.
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