German, Austrian ministers cancel Syria trip over threat
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The ministers were scheduled to meet with two members of Syria's transitional government and officials from UN humanitarian agencies.
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German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser speaks during a session of the German parliament 'Bundestag' in Berlin on January 31, 2025. (AP)
Following security concerns of a probable terrorist assault, Germany's acting Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Austrian colleague, Gerhard Karner, canceled a scheduled trip to Syria.
The journey was arranged on Thursday, with an air force jet transporting Faeser and her team from Jordan to Damascus. The cancellation occurred after German police received specific warnings about a potential danger, according to a spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry.
The ministers were scheduled to meet with two members of Syria's transitional government and officials from UN humanitarian agencies.
The meetings, which were to focus on security problems and the chances for Syrian refugees' repatriation, were to take place under strict security and had not been publicly reported.
"The possible threat to the delegation and security personnel was not justifiable," the official said, adding that Faeser and Karner had decided to cancel jointly.
Authorities could not rule out the possibility that the threat was directed directly at the German and Austrian delegations, he said.
The spokesperson detailed that both countries were "working hard" to make sure serious offenders posing a danger "can be returned to Syria as quickly as possible," vowing that such matters will be a topic of discussion with the new regime forces in Syria as soon as possible.
"However, this incident also shows that the security situation in Syria remains fragile," he continued.
Due to the precarious circumstances, Germany's Office for Migration and Refugees has halted judgments on asylum applications from Syrian citizens.
