Germany Willing to Help Redevelop Syria

Germany Willing to Help Redevelop Syria

Germany is ready to contribute to rebuilding Syria if a political solution is found in the form of political change in the country, affirmed the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, Friday (09/14)

A few hours before meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Berlin, Maas responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's request in August for Europe to help with reconstruction in Syria. "If there is a political solution in Syria that leads to free elections, then we are ready to take responsibility for reconstruction," wrote Maas on Twitter.

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"It is in our interest that Syria be a stable country. For that, reconstruction is needed. And we have an important role in that."

At the same time, Maas also underlined the request for government in Berlin for Moscow to use its influence to make Syrian President Bashar al-Assad withdraw from Idlib.

Idlib is an area that Syria wants to recapture with the help of its allies. Currently, Idlib is still controlled by opposition militias who oppose the government of Bashar al-Assad. Idlib is the only area that is outside the control of the Syrian Government.

The Russian-backed Assad regime mobilized soldiers around Idlib in recent weeks. This situation sparked fears of an air and land attack.

During a visit to Berlin last August, Putin had asked Europe to fund the reconstruction of Syria to allow millions of refugees to return. "We need to strengthen humanitarian efforts in the Syrian conflict," he said.

Germany has been flooded with one million asylum seekers since 2015, most of whom fled the war in Syria and Iraq.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is now also preparing a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (14/09) in Sochi. "The meeting is being prepared," said a Kremlin spokesman.

Turkey's top diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, told reporters in Islamabad that the leaders would discuss the Syrian crisis later Monday.