French, German foreign ministers meet Syria's new leader in Damascus

FRANCE 24

3 January 2025 at 2:14 am·1-min read

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said they wanted to forge a new relationship with Syria and called for a peaceful political transition as they met Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Friday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock were in the Syrian capital for talks on behalf of the European Union, in the highest-level visit by major Western powers since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last month.

One of their first stops was Syria's notorious Sednaya prison, north of the capital.

Accompanied by White Helmet rescuers, Barrot and Baerbock toured the cells and underground dungeons of Sednaya, an emblem of atrocities committed against Assad's opponents.

Sednaya was the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances. An advocacy group said more than 4,000 people were freed from the detention facility when rebel forces took Damascus on December 8.

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