Syria anticipates increased German investment and support as it embarks on reconstruction after Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al‑Shaibani met with a German delegation on Thursday.
The German delegation was headed by Géza Andreas von Geyr, State Minister at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. This discussion follows Syria’s recent hosting of the French president and a bilateral meeting between Syria’s president and U.S. President Donald Trump on the margins of NATO.
Thus, the German meetings seek to bolster support for Syria’s new government in Europe, occurring alongside Syria and Iraq’s efforts to develop pipeline and energy agreements.
The two ministers also inaugurated the first session of the Syrian‑German Joint Committee, creating a comprehensive framework for cooperation in economic recovery, reconstruction, investment, energy, transport, civil aviation, transitional justice, missing persons, and refugee affairs,” SANA reported.
The two sides also signed a bilateral air transport agreement, signed by Sameh Arabi, Deputy Head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, and von Geyr,” SANA added.
This agreement will establish the regulatory framework for air services.
The accord paves the way for the operational phase, encompassing coordination between the two nations’ civil aviation authorities, designation of national carriers, allocation of traffic rights and flight frequencies, issuance of operating licenses, and fulfillment of technical and security requirements necessary to launch direct flights between Syria and Germany.
SANA highlighted that Syria‑Germany ties have rapidly deepened since Syria’s liberation on December 8, 2024, moving from renewed diplomatic and political engagement to a broad economic and institutional partnership within less than two years.
Germany, a major economic power, can assist Syria in numerous ways. The report notes Germany swiftly dispatched envoys to Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime.
These efforts culminated in the resumption of operations of the German Embassy in Damascus on March 20, 2025, after a 13‑year closure, signifying a shift from political coordination to a direct diplomatic presence. Syria subsequently reopened its Consulate General in Bonn and appointed a chargé d’affaires in Berlin,” SANA said.
Meanwhile, Syria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iraq to revive the historic pipeline linking Kirkuk, Iraq, to Baniyas on Syria’s coast. This initiative could be transformative, and the growing involvement of nations such as Germany will bolster investors’ confidence in Syria.