Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon visited Syria on the last stop of her tour of the Middle East in a show of support for the nation in making a new start after the fall of the Assad regime.

"Visiting Syria at this crucial moment is a mark of Slovenia's solidarity with the Syrian people, who deserve a better future after 14 years of hell," Fajon said as quoted by the Foreign Ministry after meeting President Ahmed al-Sharaa and her counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.

She said it was essential that the interim Syrian authorities ensure an inclusive transition and build a state for all Syrians, taking into account the voices of both the civil society and women.

Slovenia to continue to provide assistance

She reiterated Slovenia's support for Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Without a stable Syria, there will be no peace in the Middle East, she said, pledging for Slovenia to always be on the side of peace and international law, meaning that those who committed crimes must be held accountable.

Fajon called for a ceasefire in the northeast of the country and dialogue among all political groups. "Slovenia will continue to monitor the developments closely, as part of the EU we will also take part in the rebuilding of the country," she said.

Al-Sharaa and al-Shaibani thanked her for Slovenia's support. They expressed hope that the international community will lift sanctions as soon as possible to make way for economic development and rebuilding of the country.

Fajon pointed to a political agreement reached by EU foreign ministers at the end of January on a gradual and reversible lifting of sanctions and reiterated that the further lifting of sanctions by the EU would depend on developments and the situation on the ground.

Meeting the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, she was briefed on humanitarian needs and reconstruction, as well as on the situation of civil society, particularly women's rights.

Noting that 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line after years of war and economic collapse, she promised for Slovenia to continue to provide humanitarian aid to the country after securing €14 million since 2014, and assistance in demining through the ITF Enhancing Human Security fund.

She explained that one of the reasons for the visit was to find out what Syria's humanitarian needs are. "Poverty in the country is extreme and the economic situation is bad," she said, noting that the new US administration's decision to freeze foreign aid was also a major blow.

Condemnation of Gaza displacement plan

Fajon arrived in Syria amid an uncertain security situation after 13 years of civil war that ended in December with the fall of the Assad regime.

Damascus was the last leg of her five-day tour of the Middle East, Fajon's fifth since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.

She also visited Jordan and Lebanon, where she advocated for peace and stability in the region. She rejected US President Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza in the strongest terms and underlined that displacement of Palestinians and illegal annexation of the West Bank would be inadmissible.

Similarly, Trump's proposal for resettlement of Palestinians has also been condemned by Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, who is "appalled that despite such forced deportations being recognised as crimes against humanity, these actions are not only tolerated today, but even proposed as solutions to international problems".