France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock emerged from talks with Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, stressing their hopes that he will construct a more inclusive society than previous ruler Bashar-al Assad.
The pair – the first ministers from the EU to travel to the Syrian capital since al-Sharaa's forces seized control on 8 December – held talks with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) chief at the People’s Palace in Damascus on Friday.