German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock linked German support for Syria to how the country’s new authorities will deal with women’s rights.
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“If women in Syria are not safe, millions of well-educated men and women who are so needed will never return from abroad to rebuild the country,” Burbock said.
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Also, according to the head of the German Foreign Ministry, during her visit to Syria she made it more than clear to the new government that the country would not receive financial support from the European Union if women’s rights were suppressed.
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The diplomat went on an unannounced visit to Syria on January 3 with her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrault. In Damascus, they held negotiations with the head of the new local administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa (better known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani).
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At the same time, representatives of the new Syrian administration did not shake Berbock’s hand at the meeting.
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At the end of November, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against the positions of the Syrian army. On December 8th they entered Damascus, Bashar al-Assad resigned as president of Syria and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who headed the so-called Salvation Government in Idlib province, announced his appointment as head of the Syrian Cabinet for the transition period, which will last until March 1, 2025.
