Hours before starting his visit… the Syrian President cancel his visit to Germany
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has canceled his visit to Germany, which was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, in a move attributed to the ongoing violent military escalation in several areas inside Syria, according to German sources.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was scheduled to receive the legitimate president in Berlin, where the issue of the return of Syrian refugees to their country was at the top of the agenda of the meeting, in addition to another expected meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The visit also included meetings with representatives of the German economic sector, as part of efforts to launch a Syrian-German Economic Council, in addition to the “A New Start for Syria” platform launched by the German Ministry of Development.
The Directorate of Information of the Presidency of the Syrian Republic announced that the Transitional President Ahmed al Sharaa will pay an official visit to Germany on Tuesday, where he is expected to hold a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bellevue Palace in the capital Berlin.
This visit was to be in the context of the development in relations between the two countries, as Germany reopened its embassy in Damascus on March 20, after a closure that lasted for about 13 years.
Earlier, the Syrian Foreign Ministry described the visit of the German Foreign Minister to Damascus on October 30 as a milestone that contributed to the restoration of communication channels and opened new horizons for dialogue and bilateral cooperation.
A spokesman of the German government said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will discuss with President Sharaa during their meeting in Berlin a number of issues, including the path of political transition in Syria, and the return of Syrian refugees to their country.
Berlin shows a clear desire to develop relations with the new Syrian government and open a new page in bilateral relations, pointing out that there are fundamental issues that need to be addressed, foremost of which is the issue of the return of Syrian refugees.
Germany adopted a broad policy of openness towards refugees about a decade ago under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, where the country received nearly a million refugees, of whom Syrians constituted the largest percentage.
However, the following years saw the growing popularity of far-right currents, along with an increasing hardening of immigration policies.
Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has also taken tougher stances on border security, pledging to speed up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
In this context, Left Party MP Gansu Özdemir called for the cancellation of the invitation to Sharaa, considering that his reception represents an insult to those who fought ISIS, and said: “He shouldn’t be rolled out the red carpet, as his visit is a political scandal”.
Social Democratic Party (SPD) MP Serdar Yüksel described the visit as “very problematic”, noting that there is a state of discontent within political circles.
He stressed the need for the German chancellor to send a clear message to the sharia on protecting the rights of religious and national minorities and ensuring the safety of citizens, adding that what happened in Aleppo must not be repeated.
Green Party MP Luise Amtsberg also expressed surprise that the visit wasn’t canceled, considering that the discussion cannot be limited to the refugees returning issue, at a time when Syrians are facing difficult humanitarian conditions, and called for linking any political openness to clear guarantees for the protection of minorities.
