German diplomat is supposed to establish contacts in Syria for the EU

After the fall of Assad

German diplomat is supposed to establish contacts in Syria for the EU

The EU would like to establish contacts with the new rulers in Syria as quickly as possible. The first discussions should be conducted by an experienced German.

The top German diplomat Michael Ohnmacht is supposed to set up communication channels for the European Union with the new rulers in Syria. As the German Press Agency learned from EU circles, Ohnmacht is the high-ranking European diplomat who was commissioned by Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas to travel to Damascus to establish contacts with the new government and those responsible there.

The German has been head of the EU-Syria delegation since September. He previously worked for the Foreign Office as ambassador in Libya, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, among other things.

Kallas announced the dispatch of a top diplomat to Damascus on Monday morning on the sidelines of foreign ministers’ talks on the situation in Syria, but did not mention a name. According to its own statements, the EU has until recently had no contact with the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was recently largely responsible for the overthrow of ruler Bashar al-Assad. The group and people associated with it remain on the United Nations terror list and are subject to EU sanctions.

Ohnmacht began his diplomatic career in the Foreign Office in 1998. According to his own statements, in addition to French and English, he also speaks Arabic and some Turkish.