European nations reestablish diplomatic relations with Syria following Assad’s ouster

12/19/2024 / By Arsenio Toledo

France, Italy, Germany and the U.K. have shown willingness to engage with Syria’s new Islamist leadership, such as raising national flags at embassies and sending diplomats to meet with the new regime.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously linked to al-Qaeda, is the new leadership in Damascus. Western nations continue to designate HTS as a terrorist group but are cautiously exploring diplomatic paths.
The European Union announced the reopening of its delegation in Damascus and emphasized conditions for engagement, including protection of minorities and rejection of extremism.
Western nations, recognizing the power vacuum after Assad’s fall, are discussing peaceful transition processes and planning to increase humanitarian aid to restore basic services like electricity and water.
Syria’s new Prime Minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, has pledged to include all religious and ethnic communities in the future government, but Western nations remain cautious due to HTS’s terrorist designation.

Multiple European nations are gradually reengaging with Syria’s new Islamist leadership following the ouster of longtime president and dictator Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

France raised its flag at its Damascus embassy for the first time in 12 years, while the European Union announced plans to reopen its mission in the country. Italy, which had already reopened its embassy in July, also expressed readiness to engage with the new government. (Related: The Great Wall of Europe: EU closes doors to Syrian aliens as jihadists take over Syria.)

The new Syrian administration in Damascus is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a supposedly moderate Islamist group formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, which swept into power after Assad’s fall. While Western governments continue to designate HTS as a terrorist organization, they are cautiously exploring diplomatic channels to address the political and humanitarian challenges in Syria.

French officials were quick to emphasize that the raising of the French flag at the Damascus embassy is only meant to be symbolic, and meant to show Paris’ willingness to reestablish ties with the new Syria, not that the embassy will immediately reopen.

The move follows similar actions by Germany and the United Kingdom, both of whom have already sent delegates to meet with HTS Leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

The EU, through High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, announced the reopening of its delegation in Damascus. Kallas described the initial talks with the new Syrian leadership as “constructive” and emphasized the EU’s commitment to being present in Syria to prevent a power vacuum. The EU has outlined conditions for engagement, including the protection of minorities, an inclusive transition and a rejection of extremism.

Italy had reopened relations with Syria back in July, several months before Assad’s fall, being the only G7 member to have an open embassy in Damascus since the beginning of the civil war back in 2012.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted at the time that the embassy’s presence did not constitute recognition of the Assad regime, as special envoy Stefano Ravagnan had not presented his credentials to the former dictator.

Meloni further expressed her readiness to engage with the new Syrian government, emphasizing the importance of protecting ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Syria’s Christian minority.

Western world still cautious due to HTS’s al-Qaeda roots

Despite the growing diplomatic engagement, Western nations remain cautious due to HTS’s terrorist designation and its roots in al-Qaeda ideology.

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office stated that its initial talks with HTS representatives would focus on a peaceful transition process for Syria and the protection of minorities. The ministry reiterated its close monitoring of HTS, noting that the group had so far acted prudently.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the power vacuum left behind by the quick downfall of the Assad regime and the transition process – which is expected to be lengthy and take at least a year, if not longer – risks a resurgence of Islamic State militants, and called for utmost caution.

The EU has expressed readiness to increase humanitarian aid to Syria, focusing on restoring basic services such as electricity and water.

The new Syrian Prime Minister, Mohammed al-Bashir, has called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the Assad regime, citing the government’s low currency reserves. In an interview, Bashir pledged to restructure the defense ministry using former rebel factions and defectors from Assad’s army. He also reassured minority groups, stating that Syria belongs to all Syrians and that the government is committed to building a future inclusive of all religious and ethnic communities.

While the Western world is focused on reconnecting with Damascus, Israel is busy taking over more parts of Syria. Watch this video.

This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.