Welcome to the press conference with the Federal Chancellor. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be able to welcome the President of Syria, Ahmed Al-sharaa, very warmly to Berlin today.
A little more than a year ago, Syria shook off a dictatorship. That was a historic moment. The images of the liberation of the prisoners from the torture dungeons — those images moved us and will resonate for a long time.
Germany stood by the side of the Syrian people throughout the long years of the Assad regime. One million Syrians found refuge in Germany from the civil war, and now the rebuilding of a new Syria has begun.
I know that those who found refuge here want to return to their homeland. They want to rebuild their homeland. They want to live in peace. These people — and I know this, Mr. President — I greatly appreciate that you have expressed it in this way — are welcome to you.
And that is probably the decisive message of your visit here in Berlin today. I share this view: political stability and economic growth can only be achieved together, and those who return to Syria with new experiences and new ideas from their years in Germany and around the world should make a major contribution to that.
They will play an important role in Syria after years of the destruction of businesses, schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. This is urgent. We want to support this rebuilding from Germany.
In recent weeks, we have developed an ambitious joint work program for reconstruction and return, which is now being implemented. We are working together to enable Syrians from Germany to return to their homeland.
To contribute with their expertise, with advice, and to rebuild institutions and create the conditions for economic growth in Syria. To implement this, we have decided to set up a joint task force that will begin its work quickly.
In just a few days, there will be a corresponding delegation trip to Syria. On the German side, the Federal Foreign Office will be particularly involved, and the Federal Chancellery will also contribute with a department head.
We will also help to stabilize Syria. This year alone, we are providing more than 200 million euros for this purpose. Among other things, we support the development of water supply in Hasakeh, Suwayda, and Aleppo.
We are enabling the reconstruction of hospitals. We are enabling the qualification of teachers at vocational schools. We have also agreed to strengthen economic relations between Germany and Syria.
This includes an attractive investment climate for German companies through corresponding reforms with legal certainty and the establishment of a functioning legal system. I had the opportunity to meet with the Syrian president in a round table discussion.
I am very grateful that I have received very positive feedback from you about this — for example, from the companies Knauf and Siemens Energy. Yes, a good year after the end of the war, the framework conditions in Syria have now fundamentally improved.
Those who no longer have a right to stay in Germany will also leave Germany again. We therefore need a reliable return option and cooperation with Syria, especially and above all for those who abuse our hospitality — unfortunately, there are such people — and who do not comply with our laws.
This is also in the interest of the majority, the overwhelming majority of Syrians who live responsibly in our country and comply with the rule of law. I thank you.
Let me also say finally that we are pleased with the many Syrian professionals — doctors or engineers — who have integrated well into our country. They make a valuable contribution to our society and, if they do return, can certainly bring valuable experience to the rebuilding of their homeland.
Mr. President, you are working under the most difficult conditions to build a good future. I would like to explicitly say, on behalf of the entire Federal Government: you are creating space in the new Syria for all Syrians, regardless of their religion, ethnic affiliation, or gender.
Violence against minorities and dissenters must belong to the past. The same applies to the terrorist threat that emanated from Syria for years. I know how committed you are to this as well.
You can count on Germany's support on the path to a good future. We discussed this extensively in our personal conversation. The ongoing war against Iran in this region is more important than ever, because this war affects us all.
It has entered our daily lives. For weeks, fuel prices and energy prices have been rising. And finally, we must once again increase police protection in front of synagogues and Jewish communities.
If this war escalates into a major regional conflict, it could burden Germany and Europe even more — as heavily as we last experienced during the Covid pandemic. The questions are therefore great, both military and strategic.
We agree with our European partners that we must find answers. And the best thing is for this war to come to an end as quickly as possible. And when the necessary conditions are met, Germany will of course be ready to play its part.
We have already made comprehensive proposals on this. I would like to explicitly propose that we do this within the framework of an international contact group, so that we can achieve the best possible outcome here, together with our European partners and Germany.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, in this spirit, once again a warm welcome to President Al-sharaa. I am very pleased that we were able to have such a good first conversation today, and I believe that this can lead to a new chapter in relations between Syria and Germany. In this spirit, a warm welcome.
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Your Excellency the Chancellor, ladies and gentlemen the ministers and officials, ladies and gentlemen representatives of the media, I express my thanks, in my name and in the name of the Syrian people, to Your Excellency the Chancellor of Germany, its leadership and its people.
We will never forget how you opened your doors to more than a million Syrians when they were in dire straits and closed doors were shut in their faces. You granted the children of Syria the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a torn-apart country.
Ladies and gentlemen, Syria, with its civilizational depth and its pivotal location, represents an ideal opportunity for a Syrian-European partnership — political, cultural, and commercial.
Syria is returning today to the world and to Europe with greater strength and a firm will, and with a determination to reach the highest levels of development and prosperity.
Your Excellency the Chancellor, we discussed today a number of topics, the most prominent of which were reconstruction, Syrian refugees, and security and stability in the region.
Perhaps the most important of these is our shared understanding that reconstruction begins with providing the basic necessities of life — energy, education, health, and others.
From this starting point, we are pleased to conclude our discussions today by signing a strategic memorandum of understanding with Siemens Energy, which kept the spirit of life alive at the Deir ez-Zor power plant.
This is a formal step towards lighting up Syria once again. And there can be no talk of recovery and reconstruction without talking about the Syrians in Germany.
We have here 1.3 million Syrians, among them 6,000 doctors working in your hospitals, and more than a quarter of a million people who pay taxes and contribute effectively to the German economy.
We are proud that the Syrians, with their expertise, knowledge, and speed of learning, share common national values with us. That is why we are working with our friends in the German government to establish the model of circular migration.
This model allows Syrian competencies to contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland without giving up the stability and the lives they have built here, for those who wish to remain.
On the domestic level, in building the state, our vision for the new Syria rests on a principle that admits no compromise: the unity of the Syrian territory and the exclusive sovereignty of the state over all of its lands.
We will not accept any form of separatism within the state, and we will not allow any weapons outside the framework of the national military and security institutions, nor any administration or authority that exceeds the authority of the central state and its decisions.
A stable and strong Syria requires the monopoly of force and the guarantee of everyone's security — the security of all Syrians without exception.
On the security level, I would like to emphasize that the stability of Syria and the safety of its citizens represent a high security interest that transcends borders, and this is a top priority on which we are working in earnest partnership.
We are also committed to the highest standards of transparency, as confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in its latest report on our cooperation.
It would be a grave mistake to ignore the extremely dangerous regional developments that have been erupting in our region since the end of last February. We have followed the military escalation with deep concern.
We condemn in the strongest terms any infringement on the security of the brotherly Arab states, and we categorically reject turning our region into a stage for settling scores.
At the same time, we condemn the aggressions and attacks that have continued since 1967 and the occupation of new territories, and we call on the international community to fulfill its moral and legal responsibilities.
In conclusion, Your Excellency the Chancellor, we in Syria are today laying the foundations of a new state — a state of law and institutions.
After long decades of despotism that exploited sectarianism and terror as tools of rule, we today need a modern constitution that protects the citizen and preserves his dignity.
We look to the future with the mindset of a state that sees Syria as a long-term strategic investment that opens up one of the largest reconstruction markets of the twenty-first century to the German market and the European economy.
The cost of rebuilding Syria, which exceeds 400 billion dollars, represents an exceptional economic opportunity for a strategic partnership that we hope will bring goodness and prosperity back to our countries.
Whoever was able to bring light back to Germany after 1945 fully understands the value of this partnership — a partner who knows how to build bridges of light over seas of darkness. Germany, without a doubt.
And I thank you.
Mr. Chancellor, once again a question on the topic of minorities. What position have you taken, and what expectations have you concretely formulated for the transitional government, when we also speak about the rights of Christians, Alawites, and Kurds?
How do you intend to ensure in the future that human rights and the rights of minorities in Syria are preserved? Are you prepared to anchor guarantees — for example for Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and Christians — in the constitution?
And what is your vision for Syria? Do you envision, for example, regular, free, democratic elections for all?
We in Syria are a country of diverse cultures and customs, and we repeat: there is no room for the account of personal interests or sectarianism.
Therefore, we are strengthening the authority of law over the state, and through the law and the constitution, everyone obtains their rights in the Syrian state.
We have lived together for thousands of years in love and harmony. However, the phase that passed during the rule of the previous regime deepened these divisions, and we have reached a suitable formula.
In the recent past, we issued a decree that guarantees the rights of all components of Syrian society, both in the Syrian interior and in their cultural heritage.
We naturally discussed this topic, and I first of all thanked President Al-sharaa very much for his efforts to reach an understanding with various population groups in Syria, and that it was possible.
And this process is ongoing — the integration of Kurdish forces into the Syrian armed forces, and that there will be no divided structures there.
I would like to emphasize what he has just stressed: that there is a monopoly of force, which is also what constitutes our notion of the rule of law and the separation of powers.
Of course, there are still many tasks to be accomplished, but from what I have heard from him, exactly these rights for minorities and also for religious minorities in Syria will be realized.
We are accompanying this process with great interest. I also told him that many communities there will find a rule of law with reliable framework conditions for the economy, but also for the people there.
And I am, not least after our meeting this morning, convinced that this is the right path.
Al Jazeera. The first question, Your Excellency, President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ahmed Al-sharaa. Your Excellency, you held talks today with the Foreign Minister and the Minister of Economy.
How can these discussions be reflected in the Syrian economy, its recovery, and the reconstruction process in Syria?
Another question, if I may: regarding the region, and in particular the Iranian aggressions or attacks on the Arab Gulf states.
Second question, Mr. Chancellor: what contribution will Germany make, or how will Germany help to accelerate the reconstruction again, and how will Germany support Syria in this, or support the Syrian economy to become stable again?
Many people, tens of thousands of people, took to the streets in the USA against the war in Iran. How do you assess that? Thank you very much.
Many of these companies have already begun operating in Syria spontaneously, and this is a beginning of investments and of seizing the appropriate opportunity in Syria.
This will also be reflected in the Syrian refugees, because many of them worked in German companies, so there is ease in obtaining the human resources that understand the nature of the companies.
In my view, it was a very fruitful and successful meeting, and it is a good and encouraging start for the remaining German companies.
This will be reflected in production and will reduce unemployment inside Syria.
Regarding the military escalation currently taking place in the region, it has raised energy prices around the world, as well as other potential risks in the coming days if this war develops and drags on without reaching a resolution.
The attacks on the Gulf states are certainly condemned. The Gulf states did not enter this conflict voluntarily; rather, they were subjected to aggressions by Iran.
I already pointed out in what way we will participate in the reconstruction in Syria. We will visit Syria on the basis of our joint statement, which we also adopted today, on how we will work together.
The Society for International Cooperation will soon open offices in Damascus, so that important institutions from Germany can provide assistance on the ground.
We discussed trade policy. I pointed out to President Al-sharaa that we can only decide this together within the framework of the European Union.
But I have great sympathy for discussing this in Europe — how we can also reach an agreement on trade policy with Syria, and how German companies can engage in Syria.
And that, in turn, depends very much on stable structures in the country, on reliable framework conditions, and on putting things on the path together with the International Monetary Fund, also keeping debt sustainability and public finances in view.
So there is a long process of catching up here. The country was enormously destroyed by the regime and by the civil war.
And we have agreed that we will provide every help we can to rebuild the country. We cannot, of course, do this alone.
The task now lies primarily with the Syrian people, with the people in Syria, with the government in Syria, but then also with the economic cooperation that we are pursuing from all sides.
We spoke about the war in Iran or against Iran. President Al-sharaa — I may say this, I believe — shares my and our skepticism regarding the strategic objectives of this war.
We hope that we can find ways, and perhaps also discuss with the American government and the Israeli government, to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible.
But this will only become clear in the coming days, perhaps weeks, how far this is possible. And I also believe that this will not be solvable by military means alone.
Time for two questions. I would ask you to limit yourselves to one question each, because of the simultaneous interpretation.
