Overview
- Germany confirmed the last-minute postponement of Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al‑Scharaa’s trip, attributing it to internal tensions in Syria.
- Al‑Scharaa had been scheduled to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier, several ministers and business leaders to discuss returns and reconstruction.
- Civil-society groups and minority associations had organized protests and urged Berlin to condition any engagement on verifiable human-rights safeguards or cancel the reception.
- The planned dialogue was tied to securing Syrian cooperation for large-scale returns of refugees from Germany and laying groundwork for reconstruction funding.
- Damascus announced a 14‑point plan and proposed ceasefire with the SDF, though the SDF had not confirmed the agreement, leaving implementation and security unclear.