Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’ah began his first official visit to Germany since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024, holding intensive meetings with senior German officials. He met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to discuss reconstruction efforts and regional developments.
The discussions focused on ways to enhance bilateral relations and the role of the international community in supporting development and reconstruction efforts in Syria, as part of gradual steps to normalize relations between Damascus and European capitals.
Al-Shar’ah also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Federal Presidential Palace and is expected to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz to address a range of issues, including Syria’s stability and the refugee crisis, which remains one of the main points of divergence between the two sides.
Germany hosts around one million Syrian refugees, most of whom arrived during 2015–2016 following the outbreak of the Syrian uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. In this context, the German government has recently promoted voluntary returns, drawing criticism from human rights organizations, and resumed deportations of convicted individuals to Syria since December of last year.
Al-Shar’ah’s visit coincided with protests in Berlin, including opposition from groups such as the Syrian Kurdish community in Germany, who hold the Syrian leadership responsible for human rights violations.
During his visit, Al-Shar’ah also met with a delegation from the Syrian community in Germany, reaffirming their support for the country’s reconstruction. The visit marks a new phase of engagement between Damascus and European capitals after years of estrangement, following Germany’s reopening of its embassy in Damascus in March 2025 after a 13-year closure.
