Germany and Syria are indeed linked by a special relationship. During the Assad dictatorship and the war in Syria, Germany always stood by the side of the Syrian people. We condemned the regime up until the moment that it fell. For many years, we provided support to the civilian population in Syria and to Syria’s opposition. We also offered refuge to more than one million people who fled Syria to escape repression by the Assad regime.

Now, we are witnessing the possible dawn of a new Syria, and we want the full breadth and depth of the relationship between our countries to be leveraged toward this end. Germany has a paramount interest in a stable Syria that lives in peace with its neighbours and offers its citizens the prospect of peace and a life in security and dignity – a Syria that finally provides a stable and secure environment, legal certainty and economic opportunities. These are also conditions that would give many of the Syrians who have sought refuge elsewhere, including in Germany, the opportunity to return. Germany and Europe are supporting the Syrian Government and the people in Syria as they travel down this difficult but also very promising path.

The rebuilding of Syria’s economy after decades of war is also a great opportunity for German businesses. The Syrian Government has announced it intends to open the country’s economy as well as modernise its administration and infrastructure and thereby create an attractive and secure environment for investment by foreign companies. There is increased interest within the German business community in Syria, and one of my goals during this trip is to campaign for more investment and trade.

During my visit to the country, I will discuss this with representatives of Syria’s Government, business sector, civil society and its various minority groups. For the first time since the fall of the Assad dictatorship, our German Government delegation will also visit several regions beyond Damascus, including the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia, as well as Syria’s former economic hub Aleppo, many parts of which today lie in ruins.

In our view, an inclusive transition process is key to stabilising the country and giving it a peaceful future. This process must take into account the rights of all regional, social, religious and ethnic groups in Syria and must grant them equal political participation. That includes in particular the convening in the near future of the People’s Assembly that must represent the interests of all Syrians, from all parts of the population, so that it can serve as a platform for a peaceful debate – with equal rights for all – on the future of Syria.