A New Chapter: EU Diplomats Visit Syria Amid Calls For Inclusive Governance

The prison was the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances. An advocacy group said more than 4,000 people were freed from the facility when rebel forces took Damascus on December 8.

Sharaa, head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the offensive that toppled Assad and sent him fleeing to Moscow.

The HTS-dominated interim authorities now face the daunting task of rebuilding state institutions, with growing calls to ensure an inclusive transition and guarantee minority rights.

Barrot, in Damascus, expressed hope 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”.

In a statement, Baerbock said Germany wanted to help Syria become a “functioning state”, calling the visit a “clear signal” to Damascus of the possibility for a new relationship between Syria and Germany, and Europe more broadly.

Despite “scepticism” about HTS — which is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda and is designated a terrorist organisation by numerous governments — Baerbock said that “we must not miss the opportunity to support the Syrian people at this important crossroads”.

Berlin was ready to support “an inclusive and peaceful transfer of power”, as well as social “reconciliation”, she said.

She also asked the new administration to avoid “acts of vengeance against groups within the population”, as well as any long delays before elections or attempts at the “Islamisation” of the judicial and education systems.

Since Assad’s ousting, a series of foreign envoys have travelled to Damascus to meet with the country’s new leaders.

France and Germany had both already sent lower-level delegations last month.

At the start of his visit, Barrot met with representatives of Syria’s Christian communities.

Diplomatic sources said Barrot told the Christian leaders that France was committed to a pluralistic Syria with equal rights for all, including minority groups.

During separate talks with representatives of Syria’s long-repressed civil society, Barrot called for a “political solution” with the Kurds, who control a large part of northeastern Syria.