The foreign ministers of Germany and France arrived in Damascus on Friday, January 3, marking the first official visit since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s Foreign Minister, sharply criticized Russia’s military presence in Syria, stating, “The time has come for Russia’s bases to leave Syria.”
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Foreign Minister, emphasized the need for a peaceful transfer of power and pledged the return of his country’s diplomatic delegation to Syria.
The German and French foreign ministers announced that the visit aims to initiate a new political process between Europe and Syria. The two senior European officials are scheduled to meet Ahmad Shar’a, the current ruler of Syria.
