French Diplomatic Mission Visits Syria After 12-Year Hiatus
In a significant diplomatic development, France has sent a delegation of four diplomats to Syria, marking the first official visit in 12 years. The French Foreign Ministry announced that the mission aims to assess the current political and security situation in the country. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized the delegation's goals, which include recovering French properties in Syria, establishing initial contacts with the new Syrian authorities, and evaluating the urgent humanitarian needs of the population.
The visit comes at a time when many EU governments have expressed a desire to distance themselves from the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who has been in power since 2000. France has maintained a position of supporting the secular Syrian opposition and Kurdish forces in the northeast, refusing to normalize relations with Assad's government since ties were severed in 2012. Barrot indicated that the delegation would verify the new authorities' claims of promoting calm and not being involved in human rights violations.
This diplomatic outreach reflects a potential shift in France's approach, as it seeks to engage with the new leadership in Syria, which has promised to establish a
state of law
guarantee the rights of all people,
and address the needs of its citizens. The success of this mission may hinge on the new authorities' ability to deliver on these promises and foster a more inclusive political transition in line with UN frameworks.
