German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro visited Syria for the first time. They were welcomed in Damascus by Syria's de facto ruler and head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmad al-Shara alias Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. At that time Al-Shara shook hands with the French Foreign Minister but did not shake hands with Beyerbok.
This information was given in a report by the US media Politico citing the German media Bild. It said, she (Bearbuck) came to speak for the rights of women and minorities. But he went back (to Germany) without shaking hands.
However, German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock pointed out that it was expected that al-Shara did not offer to shake hands during the reception during the visit to Syria. However, the incident has sparked a heated debate over the protocol for receiving world politics online.
“When I was going there, it was clear to me that handshakes weren't going to happen naturally,” Bierbock said. But it was equally clear that not only I, but also the French Foreign Minister would have dissented on the matter. Accordingly, the French foreign minister did not raise his hand (to Al-Shara).'
German daily Bild called the incident a 'handshake scandal'. Because, Bierbock's traveling companion, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Baro, was offered to shake hands, but Bierbock was not given it.
Beyerbock and Barro are the first EU ministers to visit Syria since the ouster of long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad by rebels in December. When they arrived in Damascus, they were welcomed by Ahmed al-Shara. He offered Baro a handshake, but not Bierbock.
In a video that went viral online, Baro was seen preparing to raise his hand, but later refrained from raising his hand. Then Al-Shara turned around and proceeded with the two ministers.
Al-Shara heads the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the anti-Bashar movement. It was once an al Qaeda affiliate and the US and UK have listed the group as a terrorist organisation. HTS's rise to power has raised concerns about protecting the rights of women and minorities in Syria because of the group's past history. This was the focus of this week's visit by top diplomats from Germany and France.
French Foreign Minister Barro said in a statement on social media that they had received a commitment from the new Syrian authorities to ensure the participation of women, especially in the political transition.
German Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck welcomed his colleague's visit to Damascus. He described the visit as a 'strong message of a unified European foreign policy'. He emphasized, 'After decades of violence and injustice, Syria now has an opportunity to take a new path. That's what matters.'
At the same time Habeck said, 'If we only met with governments that believed in our ideas, we would be almost alone.'
This handshake incident is reminiscent of the 'Sofagate' controversy. European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen was not given the Leaders' Chair during her visit to Türkiye in 2021. Was allowed to sit on a sofa. Van der Leyen later said he felt 'hurt' and 'alone'. He clearly blamed sexism for this incident.
