Baerbock and Borrell are the first foreign ministers from major Western nations to be received by the new Syrian leadership in Damascus. The visit of both politicians was conducted "on behalf of the EU," as stated by the German Foreign Ministry. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.
According to Annalena Baerbock, there is a possibility of resuming relations between Germany and Syria, as well as between Europe as a whole and Syria, if the intentions of the new rulers in Damascus are made clear.
The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Russia to withdraw its military bases from Syrian territory. She stated that this would be a sign of respect for the sovereignty of the republic.
The Islamist group "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia) seized power in Syria on December 8. The ousted dictator Bashar Assad fled to Russia, where he was granted political asylum. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on December 25 that Moscow is open to constructive dialogue with representatives of all political forces in Syria, highlights the newspaper "Kommersant."