DAMASCUS: On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Damascus for one day and officially reopened her country’s embassy in the war-torn Syrian Arab Republic.
Baerbock reactivated the mission, which had been closed in 2012 due to the Syrian civil conflict, on her second visit since President Bashar Assad’s ouster more than three months earlier. Her visit also came weeks after sectarian murders killed over 1,500 people on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, the home of Assad’s Alawite community.
The horrific outbreaks of violence two weeks ago resulted in a massive loss of trust,” stated Baerbock. “The targeted killing of civilians is a heinous crime. She urged interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s government to “control the actions of groups within its own ranks and hold those responsible accountable.”
However, she stated that “we want to support the Syrians together with our European partners and the United Nations” as they rebuild their country. Germany offered 300 million euros ($325 million) in reconstruction help for Syria on Monday as part of a donor conference that drew a total pledge of 5.8 billion euros.
According to a German foreign ministry source, Berlin has officially reopened its embassy in Syria, with a small diplomatic personnel initially stationed in Damascus.
Consular matters and visas would continue to be handled from Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, for practical reasons and the security situation in Syria.
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