French and German foreign ministers meet Syria’s new leaders, marking first high-level EU visit since Assad’s fall
In a historic visit, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Syria to meet with the country’s transitional leaders, signaling a new phase in relations between Syria and the European Union. This marks the first such visit by EU officials since the regime of Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December. The ministers met with Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in the capital Damascus. Sharaa’s group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the rebellion that brought an end to Assad’s authoritarian rule. In recent years, HTS has distanced itself from its past ties to al-Qaeda, attempting to rebrand itself as a political entity capable of governing post-war Syria. Baerbock, speaking before the meeti...