Syria's new leaders are set to meet the foreign ministers of France and Germany in the capital Damascus on Friday in one of the most high-profile Western diplomatic visits since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad last month.
German diplomat Annalena Baerbock and French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Damascus for the first such visit in recent years on behalf of the European Union. Hayat Tahrir al-ShamThe Islamist group leading Syria's new government.
Ms. Baerbok and Mr. Barrot were scheduled to meet with the group's leader, Ahmed al-Shara. The two also visited the notorious Sednaya prison, which is held by Mr. Assad's regime. they tortured and killed thousands of people of prisoners.
“We are traveling to Damascus today to offer our support, but also with the clear expectations of the new rulers,” Ms Baerbok said. “A new beginning can only happen when all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religion, are given a place in the political process.”
The visits are among meetings between rebel leaders and Western officials who are gradually seeking to open channels to the new Syrian authorities, as Mr al-Shara tries to project a moderate image after taking power.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is still blacklisted as a terrorist group by the United States and the United Nations. His past ties to al-Qaeda. Mr al-Shara called on the international community to lift the designation, tried to reassure minority groups and said he wanted to focus on rebuilding Syria after years of civil war.
“The current events require the cancellation of all sanctions against Syria,” he said in a television interview last month.
Many countries have it, including the United States began to establish relations with the new government. In late December, the State Department's top Middle East official, Barbara Leaf, met with Mr. al-Shara in Damascus and told him that Washington would no longer impose an annual reward for his capture.
On Friday, Mr. Barrot also visited the site of the disused French embassy in Damascus, which was closed in 2012 due to the escalation of the civil war, the French Foreign Ministry said. During the trip, Mr Barrot said he hoped to work towards reopening the embassy depending on how the situation developed, according to a French diplomat familiar with the trip, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to follow government protocol.
The diplomacy comes at a time of restructuring in the Middle East, where Syria has historically been a major power and for decades has become an emblem of iron-fisted rule by a single dynasty that most Syrians oppose. At least six foreign troops, including Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States, have participated in the country's nearly 14-year civil war.
Mr. al-Shara's group is conservative and adheres to the principles of political Islam, but split from and even fought al-Qaida and Islamic State years ago. Since 2017, it has controlled most of Syria's Idlib province, which has been controlled by opponents of the Assad government.
Officials within the group have drawn up an ambitious plan to install a new government, and rebel leaders have assumed key roles in overseeing the transition. An interim government will be established in consultation with Syrians of all origins and a committee will be established to create a new Syrian Constitution.
Here are other events in the region:
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Houthi missile attacks: Iran-backed Yemeni militias fired ballistic missiles into Israel early Friday morning, setting off air raid sirens in central Israel, including Jerusalem. The Israeli military said they captured the missile and there were no reports of serious casualties. Israeli fighter jets have flown more than 1,000 miles to strike Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but Israel he tried to stop increased attacks in the last month.
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Israeli strikes on Lebanon: The Israeli army said on Thursday night that it bombed Hezbollah facilities in southern Lebanon as part of a 60-day ceasefire. continues to hold to a large extent. Since the agreement came into force at the end of November, Israel has repeatedly bombed Hezbollah fighters who have violated the agreement. Hezbollah has generally refrained from responding militarily. The current ceasefire is due to expire at the end of January, although the US and its allies hope it will be permanent.