Damascus, Syria — Germany reopened its embassy in Damascus on Thursday, marking its return to the Syrian capital after a 13-year closure triggered by the outbreak of the country’s civil war. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who presided over the reopening, emphasized the need for Europe to have “eyes and ears” on the ground as Syria navigates its ongoing political transition.
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The embassy’s reopening comes during Baerbock’s second visit to Damascus since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December 2024. She met with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other officials following the ceremony. Among the European Union’s 27 member states, Germany joins Italy—which reopened its embassy last year before Assad’s ouster—and Spain, which resumed operations after his departure, in restoring a diplomatic presence in Syria.
“With this embassy opening, we are saying very clearly that Germany is back in Damascus,” Baerbock told reporters. “Germany has a paramount interest in a stable Syria.” For now, the embassy will operate with a small team, supported by staff based in neighboring Lebanon, and will not offer consular or visa services.
It is currently led by a chargé d’affaires, with Baerbock noting that the appointment of a full ambassador hinges on future political and security developments. “We want the political process in Syria to move forward and to support it as well as is possible,” she said. “For that, we as Europeans and as the Federal Republic of Germany need our colleagues as eyes and ears on the ground.”
The move signals Germany’s intent to engage directly with Syria’s evolving landscape following years of conflict and isolation. While limited in scope, the embassy’s reopening reflects a cautious step toward rebuilding diplomatic ties as the country transitions under interim leadership.
Germany, one of the leading powers in the EU, has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade. If all the millions of Syrians who left the country returned at once, “Syria would collapse,” Baerbock said.
She said the return of those who want to go back would “have to be a step-by-step approach, especially starting with the direct neighboring countries.”
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