German and Austrian interior ministers, Nancy Faeser and Gerhard Karner (both pictured), cancelled their planned trip to Syria on Thursday due to a potential security threat to their delegation, according to German authorities. [Getty]
The German and Austrian interior ministers broke off a planned trip to Syria on Thursday because of a possible threat to their delegation, German authorities said.
Germany’s Nancy Faeser had planned to visit Damascus with Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, and a German military plane was supposed to fly Faeser’s delegation into Syria from Jordan on Thursday morning.
But her ministry said that the trip was broken off before the flight could depart from Amman “because of concrete warnings by German security authorities of a terrorist threat,” German news agency dpa reported.
It added that a threat to the delegation couldn’t be ruled out, and that it wouldn’t have been responsible to travel in view of that possible threat.
The trip hadn’t been announced ahead of time.
The two ministers had planned to speak with ministers in the interim government and with representatives of UN aid organizations.
Germany in particular has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade.
Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Damascus and reopened the German Embassy, 13 years after it was shut in the early days of Syria’s civil war.
Baerbock, who met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and others, said Europe needs “eyes and ears” on the ground as it follows the Syrian political transition.
It was her second visit since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group seized power in Syria in December, toppling former president Bashar al-Assad and ending decades of authoritarian rule.
Italy pledges 68 million euros in aid for Syria
Italy has earmarked some 68 million euros ($73.20 million) to finance humanitarian projects and rebuild infrastructure in Syria, Rome’s foreign minister told lawmakers on Thursday, saying it was crucial to support the transition in Damascus.
“An initial package has been earmarked for humanitarian initiatives in the hospital and health sector, in infrastructure, and in strengthening food supply chains,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a parliamentary hearing.
“New cooperation projects will start in the coming weeks. And we also intend to organise a business forum aimed at reconstruction,” he added.
Earlier this month, donors at a European Union-led conference pledged 5.8 billion euros to help Syria’s new authorities with the challenges of the transition.
EU countries have also suspended a range of sanctions against Syria, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction.
The new authorities this month issued a constitutional declaration that retains a central role for Islamic law in the country.
Tajani said the constitutional declaration represented a “positive step” and a “progressive and cautious” easing of sanctions should continue to foster institutional consolidation and economic recovery. ($1 = 0.9289 euros)
