Syria and Germany first established diplomatic relations in 1952. During the 13 year long Syrian civil war from 2011 to 2024, Germany continued to support the Syrian people, providing humanitarian assistance, backing the political process led by the United Nations, admitting more than one million Syrians to live in Germany, and promoting the civil society opposition activists who remained in Syria. The German Embassy in Damascus was reopened in March 2025, following the fall of the Assad regime.
Germany plays a key role in strengthening security in Syria, above all in the north east of the country, in areas that were previously under IS control. Germany is part of the Global Coalition against Daesh, and works with numerous partners to provide stabilisation assistance and deradicalisation support, and to assist with the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons in their former hometowns.
Germany is one of the biggest donors of aid for Syria. In 2024, we provided approximately 220 million euro of humanitarian assistance country wide for Syria. Stabilisation is a key focus of our contribution. Efforts to promote stabilisation include assistance for the fight against IS, support for the political transition, and the investigation of crimes committed during the Syrian civil war and before by the Assad regime. Germany also supports Syrian civil society with the aim of peacebuilding at community level.
Since the start of the civil war, bilateral trade between Germany and Syria has been minimal, mainly because of the economic sanctions imposed during the war by the EU and the United States. In 2024, trade in goods totalled 48 million euro from Germany to Syria and 14 million euro from Syria to Germany; trade in services totalled 3 million euro from Germany to Syria, and 17 million euro from Syria to Germany. The EU’s economic sanctions against Syria were lifted in May 2025, with the exception of those based on security grounds. The US, the UK and other countries have also lifted their sanctions against Syria in their entirety, or have relaxed them considerably.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, Germany is resuming the full breadth of its cultural and civil society relations with Syria. This March, a delegation that was led by the Federal Foreign Office and included members from the Goethe-Institut, the German Archaeological Institute, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation visited the country. The Federal Foreign Office and the above-mentioned cultural organisations have already started to foster exchange and support, above all as regards protection of cultural heritage, training for journalists and education.