Raising the French flag in Damascus after 12 years

After 12 years, the French flag was raised today at the Syrian embassy in France, which was closed in 2012 after the popular movement against the regime.

French diplomatic delegation in Syria This came after the arrival of a French diplomatic delegation to Damascus, headed by diplomat Jean-François Guillaume, in the first visit of its kind in 12 years.

Guillaume, upon his arrival, confirmed that "France is preparing to stand by the Syrians" during the transition period.

The French mission also explained that the purpose of the visit was to "establish contact with the de facto authorities" in Damascus, according to Agence France-Presse.

John Noel on Diplomatic Mission French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in previous statements that the French diplomatic mission includes four diplomats and the visit aims to recover French properties in Syria, establish initial contacts with the new authorities, and assess the urgent humanitarian needs of the population.

Barou explained, in an interview with Radio France Internationale, that the delegation will also work to verify the extent to which the new authority in Syria is committed to its statements, which he described as encouraging, and which included calls for calm and not to be involved in violations.

He added that France "has technical expertise that can contribute to collecting evidence about the missing and victims of Bashar al-Assad's regime," stressing that "achieving peace and stability in Syria requires achieving justice."

The French Minister also spoke about providing humanitarian aid to the Syrians, and working in the future within the framework of the European Union to allocate budgets for the reconstruction of Syria.

He also spoke about lifting some European sanctions imposed on Syria, provided that comprehensive representation of the various components of Syrian society is guaranteed in the government.