Germany reopens its diplomatic mission in Syria after 13-year closure

“Minister Baerbock officially reopened Berlin’s embassy in Damascus,” German special envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, said on X.

“We are pleased to work closely with all Syrians for a better Syria,” he added.

The envoy stated the working team in the embassy is “still small.”

“The visa and consular affairs will remain managed from Beirut for the coming period,” he added.

Many Arab and foreign countries closed their diplomatic missions in Syria following a deadly crackdown launched by the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad against pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after armed groups took control of Damascus in early December

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-government forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.

Also on Thursday, al-Sharaa met in Damascus on Thursday with Baerbock and European Parliament member Armin Laschet.

A presidency statement did not provide details about the content of the meeting, which came shortly after Germany announced the reopening of its embassy in Damascus.

This was the second visit by the German foreign minister to Syria since the fall of the al-Assad government in December. Baerbock’s first visit was in January.

“The German Embassy in Damascus has officially reopened, and we will support Syria politically and economically,” Baerbock said following the reopening of the diplomatic mission.

“The Syrian people need assistance and reconstruction,” she added, reiterating her country’s solidarity with Syrian efforts for peace.

“The first steps toward unifying the country have been taken, and the next must involve all segments of society.”

“Syria must belong to all Syrians, and we called on the government to prosecute those responsible for the crimes,” Baerbock said, stressing that the country’s political process must include all ethnic and religious groups before refugees return.

At a donor conference for Syria held in Brussels earlier this week, Germany pledged 300 million euros to bolster Syria’s economic stability.

During the event, participants pledged 5.8 billion euros to support Syrians and refugee-hosting nations.