NNA - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Syria early Friday after a trip to neighbouring Lebanon, where he met with senior Lebanese politicians, including veteran parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berry.

His trip to Syria, along with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, was aimed at promoting a "peaceful" transition for "the Syrian people and for regional stability", said Barrot in a post on X shortly before arriving in Damascus.

The visit by the French and German foreign ministers was the first by a major Western power since Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was ousted on December 8 by rebels led by the Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In an interview with FRANCE 24 and a group of foreign journalists a week later, HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa called on Western nations to lift the international sanctions imposed on the Assad regime.--agencies 

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