German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reinstated her nation’s embassy in Damascus as part of a trip to the Syrian city. This diplomatic office had been shut down 13 years prior at the onset of the Syrian conflict.

Over three months following the ousting of ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad, Germany reinstated its embassy in Damascus on Thursday.

The embassy had been shut down in 2012 at the onset of the Syrian conflict but has now been formally reinstated through German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, marking her second visit to Syria following the fall of the Assad government.

A limited number of German diplomats will return to working in Damascus; however, tasks like visa issuance will stay at the embassy in Beirut, which is in nearby Lebanon, as per Baerbock.

This development represents a considerable advancement in restoring ties between Berlin and the authorities in Damascus, who are grappling with humanitarian and security challenges as they attempt to reconstruct the nation following Assad’s downfall.

More than one million Syrians, many of whom fled their homeland during the bloody civil war, live in Germany.

What additional actions will Baerbock take in Syria?

Baerbock is scheduled to meet Thursday with Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and representatives of civil society organizations.

Her arrival is only two weeks behind. Intense confrontations occurred between supporters of Assad and troops aligned with the newly established government. In northwestern Syria, hundreds of people died.

More than 1,500 individuals have lost their lives due to the unrest. , mostly civilians from the Alawite religious minority to which Assad belongs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in London.

Before boarding her flight to Syria from Beirut, Baerbock denounced the "deliberate killings of civilians," calling it a "heinous crime" that significantly eroded trust.

She called on the transitional government to "control the actions of the groups within its own ranks and hold those responsible accountable."

Bearbock reaffirms Germany's backing for Syria

Baerbock reiterated Germany's pledge to keep supporting delivering assistance for humanitarian needs in Syria And indicated a potential relaxation of sanctions, but solely under specific circumstances.

"Europe and Syria, as well as Germany and Syria, can embark on a fresh political start," Baerbock stated.

She mentioned that achieving this would necessitate explicit pledges to guarantee liberty, safety, and equitable chances for every Syrian, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, or faith.

On Monday, Germany declared €300 million ($325 million) in reconstruction assistance for Syria during a donor conference where a total amount was raised. €5.8 billion in pledges .

In addition to other EU countries, Italy restarted its embassy operations in Syria last year prior to Assad’s downfall, followed by Spain which did so after his ousting.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

Author: Dmytro Hubenko (along with AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)