French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock will meet this Friday in Damascus with Ahmad al-Shara’, leader of Syria’s new administration. This marks the first such engagement at this level between Western officials and the new Syrian authorities, whose initial steps in governance are being closely observed.
Arriving in Damascus on Friday morning, Jean-Noël Barrot was later joined by Annalena Baerbock in a joint visit emphasizing the need for a peaceful and inclusive political transition in Syria.
As part of their visit, the two ministers toured the Saydnaya prison, a notorious symbol of repression during Bashar al-Assad’s rule. They explored the prison’s cells and underground chambers, known for inhumane detention conditions where many detainees died under torture.
Their diplomatic efforts will culminate in a joint meeting with Ahmad al-Shara’, head of the newly established administration, which emerged from a coalition led by the Islamist-oriented Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. This coalition succeeded in ousting Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024.
