Syria wants more German investment and support as it moves toward reconstruction. Last Thursday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met with a German delegation, which was led by Géza Andreas von Geyr, the Federal Foreign Office’s state secretary.
Syria previously had hosted French President Emmanuel Macron, and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of NATO.
As such, the meeting with the German delegation was intended to encourage European support for Syria’s new government. It came on the heels of Syria and Iraq also seeking to develop pipelines and energy deals.
“The two ministers also launched the inaugural session of the Syrian-German Joint Committee, establishing a new framework for cooperation in economic recovery, reconstruction, investment, energy, transport, civil aviation, transitional justice, missing persons and refugee issues,” Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported.
In addition, “the two sides also signed a bilateral air transport agreement,” the report said. “The document was signed by Sameh Arabi, deputy head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, and von Geyr.”
Germany's economic power could help Syria
This will establish the regulatory framework for air services.
“The accord paves the way for the operational phase, including coordination between the two countries’ civil aviation authorities, designation of national carriers, allocation of traffic rights and flight frequencies, issuance of operating licenses, and completion of the technical and security requirements needed to launch direct flights between Syria and Germany,” SANA reported.
Ties between Syria and Germany have “undergone rapid development, following Syria’s liberation on December 8, 2024, with the two countries moving in less than two years from renewed diplomatic and political engagement to building a broad economic and institutional partnership,” the report said.
This is important because Germany is a major economic power, and it could help Syria in many other ways.
Germany was quick to send envoys to Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime, SANA reported, adding: “These efforts culminated in the resumption of operations of the German Embassy in Damascus on March 20, 2025, after a closure lasting 13 years, marking the transition from political coordination to a direct diplomatic presence. Syria subsequently reopened its Consulate General in Bonn and appointed a chargé d’affaires in Berlin.”
Meanwhile, Syria has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iraq to revive an old pipeline that stretches from Kirkuk in Iraq to Baniyas on the coast of Syria.
This is a potential game changer as countries including Germany play a larger role. That will help investors feel a sense of stability in Syria.