Germany is calling for a peaceful transition in Syria and the preservation of its territorial integrity.
While making the government’s stance clear in Berlin, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Germany would provide an additional €8 million ($8.4 million) in humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.
“We are seeing a moment of hope, but the situation could be anything but stable. We must not allow the internal Syrian dialogue process to be sabotaged from the outside. Neighbors, like the Turkish and Israeli governments, which are expressing their security interests, should not jeopardize the process,” Baerbock said.
A major concern for Germany remains Syrian refugees; Baerbock emphasized that their return must be coordinated with European partners and the United Nations, adding that such a process needs to be well-planned and secure.
Diplomatic relations between Germany and Syria have been severed since 2012 when the German embassy in Damascus was closed due to the escalation of the civil war and severe human rights violations by the Assad regime. Since then, diplomatic contacts have been carried out through the embassy in Lebanon, with significant limitations.
Now, with a new government in Syria, the possibility of reopening the embassy and establishing direct dialogue is not ruled out.
