German, French foreign ministers in Damascus with 'outstretched hand'

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot were in Damascus on Friday. They are the first ministers from the European Union to visit Syria since the HTS rebel group seized control after ousting Bashar Al-Assad in December.  

The visit is a "getting to know you" exercise from the EU, which is weighing up its approach to the new de facto rulers of the country. The French and German ministers are there representing the bloc, and the word from Brussels was that if they pass the test, Europe could be open to a much closer relationship. 

Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, wrote on the X social network: "Our message to Syria's new leadership: respecting the principles agreed with regional actors and ensuring the protection of all civilians and minorities is of the utmost importance."  

Before departing for Damascus, Baerbock told reporters that she was making the trip with "an outstretched hand" but that Berlin had "clear expectations" of what they wanted from the new rulers. 

"We know where the HTS comes from ideologically, what it has done in the past," the German Foreign Minister noted, referring to the group's origins from the Al Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front. 

French Foreign Minister Barrot also spoke about seeking a "sovereign and safe" Syria. Both Paris and Berlin have offered help to Damascus in the drawing up of a new constitution, with Barrot saying that hope for a democratic transition in Syria was "fragile but real". 

Financial aid for voluntary repatriation

The visit came on the same day that a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Berlin confirmed plans to expand a financial program for Syrians who were granted asylum in Germany to volunteer to return to Syria. The plan would make around $1,230 available to anyone who was willing to take part. 

Germany is in an election campaign, with federal elections set for February 23 and migration set to be a big part of the debate. Similar voluntary repatriation proposals have been floated by Christian Social Union leader Markus Söder and Christian Democratic Union heavyweight Jens Spahn, with each suggesting around $1,000 per adult to return to Syria. 

However, these offers have not been universally welcomed by the Syrian community in Germany. Anas Modamani, who famously took a selfie with then Chancellor Angela Merkel at the height of refugee arrivals in 2015, said "I think that's a terrible idea… the situation in Syria is still just as dangerous as before."