Nine days after the HTS takeover in Syria, high-level talks between the German government and the HTS government in Damascus are set to begin on Tuesday, according to a report by Bild, citing government sources.
The meeting in the Syrian capital is expected to take place with HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani’s appointed foreign minister, who has already been in talks with the US and Turkey, the report says. The meeting, which will focus on the transition process and the protection of minorities, is reportedly to include a representative from the Development Ministry. The possible reopening of the German Embassy in Damascus is also expected to be discussed during the talks.
A Foreign Office spokesperson told Bild, Syria should neither become a plaything of foreign powers nor an experiment for radical forces. The government will measure the transitional government by its actions. Any cooperation requires that ethnic and religious minorities are protected and the rights of women are respected.