Germany's foreign minister heads to Damascus for one-day trip

German Foreign Minister Baerbock and her French counterpart Barrot have given the new Syrian leadership conditions for European support. It was made clear to the new ruler al-Sharaa that a peaceful transition is necessary that includes all population groups, Baerbock said in Damascus.

4,000 km from France, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot met with the new Islamist leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Chareh, alongside his German counterpart. The two European ministers insisted on the need for a transition that was both peaceful and inclusive.

After her visit to Syria, Foreign Minister Baerbock is concerned about the political transition process. Support for the new government must be made dependent on how it deals with women's and minority rights, she said in the Tagesthemen.

Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock experiences scandal in Syria when the new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa refuses to shake her hand. Habeck is now speaking out.

French and German foreign ministers make historic visit to Damascus

While progress has been made, Western nations, including France and Germany, have maintained HTS's designation as a terrorist organization. Baerbock also stressed the importance of not delaying democratic elections, noting that human rights and political reforms must not be undermined during the tra

With Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, the Islamist ruler Ahmed Al-Sharaa received the highest-level visit from the West to date in Damascus.