German and French officials will meet representatives of Syria’s new administration in Damascus on Tuesday, the 17th of December, expanding Western contacts with the new administration nine days after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad following a meeting between British diplomats and Syrian new government leader Ahmed al-Sharaa late on Monday night, reports Reuters.
The new authorities in Damascus are led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the West still classifies as a terrorist group.
Late on Monday night, HTS leader Sharaa, whose group was once linked to Al Qaeda, met with a British delegation urging renewed contacts and the lifting of sanctions against Syria to allow Syrian refugees to return home, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
Photos released from the meeting show a shift in geopolitics since Assad was toppled by the HTS, a blow to Assad’s allies Russia and Iran and potentially paving the way for the West to re-establish contact with Damascus. However, Western involvement remains limited because the HTS is designated a terrorist organisation and Damascus is under sanctions.
Sharaa also “spoke of the need to establish a state and institutions based on the rule of law, as well as to ensure security”, SANA reported.
Ahead of the meeting, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK had sent a delegation of its senior officials “to Damascus this week to meet with Syria’s new interim authorities and representatives of Syrian civil society groups”.
German diplomats also plan to meet HTS representatives in Damascus on Tuesday to discuss the Syrian transition and the protection of minorities, the German Foreign Ministry said.
It is also exploring “the possibility of a diplomatic presence in Damascus” while monitoring HTS over its Al Qaeda roots, with a ministry spokesman adding that “so far they have acted prudently”.
The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011 as an uprising against Assad, forced millions of people to flee the country, including around one million who sought refuge in Germany.
French diplomats are also expected to visit Damascus later on Tuesday to meet with HTS representatives, French officials said.
The US State Department said on Monday that the US government had held several meetings with HTS over the past week.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday that the EU should be ready to ease sanctions against Syria if the country’s new leadership takes “positive steps” to establish an inclusive government and respect the rights of women and minorities.
Western countries expand contacts with Syria’s new leadership
