Germany reopens Damascus embassy 13 years after Syrian war forced its closure

Germany has reopened its embassy in Damascus, 13 years after it was shuttered in the early phase of Syria's civil war.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reopened the mission during a visit to the Syrian capital, her second trip to the country since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.

In a statement published on the Foreign Ministry website, Baerbock said her trip is meant to renew the message that "a political new beginning between Europe and Syria, between Germany and Syria is possible".

But she added that that comes with "clear expectations that there is freedom, security and opportunity in Syria for all people — for women and men, for people belong to all ethnic groups and religions."

Clashes earlier this month between fighters loyal to al-Assad and forces of the country's new rulers sparked the worst violence since the civil war, leaving around 1,000 people dead, most of them members of the Alawite minority.

Baerbock said the transitional government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa "must have control over the actions of the groups in its own ranks and bring those responsible to account".

Earlier this month, the interim government signed a deal with the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country's northeast.

Baerbock praised that "historic" agreement, and said that there needs to be inclusion for other groups as well so that they can feel they are "part of a new Syria."

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers decided last month to suspend a series of far-reaching sanctions to help Syria's economic recovery and reconstruction after nearly 14 years of conflict.

The council decided to remove five financial institutions (Industrial Bank, Popular Credit Bank, Saving Bank, Agricultural Cooperative Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines) from the list of entities subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources and to allow funds and economic resources to be made available to the Central Bank of Syria.   

The EU has suspended sectoral measures in the oil, gas, electricity, and transport sectors, and hasalso introduced exemptions to the ban on banking relations between Syrian banks and financial institutions in the EU to facilitate transactions for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes, as well as for the energy and transport sectors.   

The bloc will monitor the situation in the country to guarantee that suspensions remain appropriate. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that "if everything does not go right, then we are also ready to put the sanctions back”.

And on Monday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen unveiled almost €2.5 billion in additional European support for Syrians over the next two years.

It will be channelled to support Syrians in their home country as well as those in neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.