The German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, and her French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, travelled to Damascus on Friday 3 January for talks with the new Syrian authorities.
“Our message to Syria’s new leadership: respecting the principles agreed with regional actors and ensuring the protection of all civilians and minorities is of the utmost importance”, explained EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The ministers visited Syria, representing the EU and on behalf of Ms Kallas.
According to the spokesperson for the European External Action Service, Anouar El-Anouni, the aim was to hold talks with the new authorities and pass on the principles agreed between Europeans “in terms of security, stability, territorial integrity, but also respect for human rights, including women’s rights, and to ensure that inclusion will be the driving force behind the peace process, led and owned by the Syrians”.
For Ms Baerbock, the trip was a “clear signal” that “a new political beginning” between Europe and Syria is possible.
In particular, the ministers met the new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. “It is now necessary to establish a political dialogue that includes all ethnic and religious groups and includes all citizens, in particular the women of this country”, declared Mrs Baerbock, with whom the new leaders refused to shake hands. According to the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Syrian authorities are committed to broad participation in the transition and have indicated that women will be part of the preparatory committee for a national dialogue conference to be launched in the next few days.
Mr Barrot announced that he had obtained from the authorities “assurances of broad participation - particularly by women - in the political transition, agreement to host a mission from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to destroy chemical weapons, and cooperation with Lebanon”. According to the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the authorities are also committed to the fight against terrorism.
And while Mr al-Sharaa would like to see international sanctions lifted, Mr El-Anouni warned against prejudging what would happen in terms of sanctions, adding that the EU would judge the authorities on their actions and not their words.
Mr Barrot also announced that France had proposed organising an international conference at the end of January “involving Syria and its partners” to support the political transition to move “in the right direction”. Paris and Berlin have offered their expertise to support the constitutional work resulting from the national conference and in support of the fight against impunity.
On Monday 6 January, the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would be meeting several European counterparts in Rome on Thursday “to advocate a peaceful, inclusive, Syrian-led political transition”, without specifying which ministers would be involved. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)