German and French foreign ministers in Syria for first official visit from EU countries

Annalena Baerbock and Jean-Noël Barrot hope to show a "new beginning" is possible between Europe and Syria.

Transcript

00:00The French and German foreign ministers traveled to Damascus on the first official visit to

00:08Syria by top diplomats from European countries after the fall of former President Bashar

00:13al-Assad.

00:16French Minister Jean-Noël Barrault visited the French embassy, which opened its doors

00:20a few weeks ago after 13 years of closure.

00:24A little less than a month ago, a new hope arose thanks to the mobilization of the Syrians

00:31and the Syrians, the hope of a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria, the hope that

00:39the aspirations of the Syrians and the Syrians can be realized.

00:45It is a real hope, but it is a fragile hope.

00:49France is now more than ever on the side of the Syrians and the Syrians to realize this hope.

00:57Barrault also met with Christian religious leaders.

01:02His German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said there can be a political new beginning between

01:06Europe and Syria only if all people, regardless of ethnic or religious group, have a place

01:12in the political process.

01:15Baerbock and Barrault are meeting the leader of HTS, the group that toppled Assad, Ahmad

01:19al-Shara, and representatives of Syrian civil society on Friday.