(3 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Damascus, Syria – 3 January 2025
1. French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, walking up stairs at French embassy in Damascus
2. Barrot entering embassy
3. Damaged furniture
4. Various of Barrot touring embassy
5. French flag
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Noel Barrot, French Foreign Minister:
“It is with great emotion that I am today, on the site of the French Embassy in Damascus, at the foot of the flag that was here a few weeks ago, after 13 years of absence. We left 13 years ago as a result of the deterioration of security conditions in Damascus caused by the bloody repression by the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad during the 2011 revolution. For 13 years, France continued to support the Syrian people while strongly condemning the actions and abuses of the Bashar al-Assad regime for years.”
7. Close of cameraman
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Noel Barrot, French Foreign Minister:
“A little less than a month ago, new hope was born thanks to the mobilisation of Syrians, the hope of a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria, the hope that the aspirations of Syrians can be fulfilled. It is a real hope, but it is a fragile hope. Today, more than ever, France stands alongside Syria and Syrians to make this hope a reality.”
9. Barrot at entrance to embassy
STORYLINE:
French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, visited the French embassy in Damascus on Friday during his visit to Syria.
The embassy reopened its doors for the first time in 13 a few weeks ago following the fall of the government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“It is with great emotion that I am today on the site of the French Embassy in Damascus,” said Barrot as he inspected the building.
Barrot expressed his country’s continued support for the Syrian people saying there was "new hope" following the fall of Assad’s regime.
"A little less than a month ago, new hope was born thanks to the mobilisation of Syrians, the hope of a sovereign, stable and peaceful Syria, the hope that the aspirations of Syrians can be fulfilled," he said.
"It is a real hope, but it is a fragile hope. Today, more than ever, France stands alongside Syria and Syrians to make this hope a reality.”
Earlier Barrot visited the Christian neighbourhood of Bab Touma and met with religious leaders.
Barrot along with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock headed to Damascus Friday, marking the first official visit to Syria by top diplomats from European Union countries after the fall of Assad.
Since Assad’s fall, Damascus has seen a flurry of visits from Arab and western countries that had cut off relations with Assad’s government during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.
However, Western countries have so far not lifted sanctions placed on Syria under Assad or removed the designation of HTS as a terrorist group, although the United States lifted a $10 million bounty it had previously placed on al-Sharaa.
AP video shot by Abdulrahman Shaheen
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