German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned Syria's new leaders on Friday that Europe would not fund the establishment of Islamist institutions in the country.
Europe will give its support, but it will not finance new Islamist structures, Ms. Baerbock warned, during a visit to Damascus with her French counterpart.
The two foreign ministers met at the presidential palace in Damascus with the new Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Chareh. Al-Chareh heads the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the coalition that took the capital, Damascus, on 8 December.
HTS, the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, claims to have broken with jihadism but is still classified as a ‘terrorist’ group by several Western capitals, notably Washington.
The German Foreign Minister also emphasised the place and rights of women in the new Syria.
She called for "an inclusive, peaceful transfer of power, reconciliation and reconstruction," noting that this "requires a political dialogue involving all ethnic and religious groups, involving men and equally women."
Women, she stressed, must all be involved in the constitutional process and in the future Syrian government, especially since "women's rights are the indicator of a society that shows its attachment to individual freedom."
"We made that clear to the leaders here in Damascus today," the German Foreign Minister added. "It was important to know that they understood."
