Berlin (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – According to German authorities, the interior ministers of Germany and Austria canceled their scheduled trip to Syria on Thursday due to a potential threat to their delegation.
Germany’s Nancy Faeser was scheduled to visit Damascus with her Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, and a German military plane was planned to fly Faeser’s delegation into Syria from Jordan on Thursday morning.
Nancy Faeser’s ministry stated that the two ministers decided to break off the visit before the flight could depart from Amman
“because of concrete warnings by German security authorities of a terrorist threat.”
In an emailed statement, it noted that the delegation faced potential threats, making travel irresponsible under the circumstances that. The trip was not announced in advance.
What were the objectives of the canceled Syria trip?
The two ministers intended to meet with the interim Syrian government’s interior and foreign ministers, as well as representatives from U.N. agencies. Germany, in particular, has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade.
The German Interior Ministry announced that the upcoming discussions would focus on security matters and on
“perspectives for the return of Syrian refugees in case of stabilisation and peaceful development in Syria.”
It has been noted that Germany and Austria are actively collaborating to expedite the deportation of Syrians who have either committed serious crimes or are considered security threats back to their homeland.
How does Germany plan to monitor developments in Syria?
Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Damascus to reopen the German Embassy, closed 13 years ago during the early stages of Syria’s civil war. During her meeting with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other officials, Baerbock emphasized that Europe requires “eyes and ears” on the ground to monitor the Syrian political transition. This marked her second visit since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December.
