Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said there can be no weapons outside the national military and security institutions, considering the monopoly of force by those institutions a guarantee of security for all Syrians without exception.
Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Monday, March 30, al-Sharaa said combating terrorism and dismantling Captagon smuggling networks are top priorities that Syria is pursuing through serious partnership with the international community.
“Our vision for the new Syria is based on a non-negotiable principle, the unity of Syrian territory and the sovereignty of the state over all its land, and we will not accept statelets within the state,” al-Sharaa added.
He noted that Syria is diverse in its cultures and customs, and that the government is working to establish the rule of law for everyone.
Al-Sharaa also said Syria’s stability and the safety of its citizens are a top security priority, and that the government is laying the foundations of a new state, a state of law and institutions, after long decades of despotism that used sectarianism and fear as tools of governance.
According to al-Sharaa, Syria today needs a modern constitution that protects citizens and preserves their dignity. He added, “We look to the future with the mindset of a state that possesses the foundations for recovery.”
He said the model presented today is one of long-term strategic investment that opens the door for the German market and European economies to participate in Syria’s reconstruction
Merz: al-Sharaa affirmed respect for religious rights
For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said President al-Sharaa had affirmed respect for the religious rights of the Syrian people, and that work is underway with him to achieve stability and economic development. The rights of religious minorities are highly respected in Syria, according to the German chancellor, who praised Germany’s support for that.
Merz also said Kurdish forces will be integrated into the Syrian army and that security will not be fragmented.
He added that consultations would take place in his European talks regarding cooperation with and investment in Syria, according to the joint press conference with President al-Sharaa in Berlin.
Germany stood with the Syrian people against Assad’s dictatorship, and one million Syrians took refuge there. Now, the reconstruction phase of the new Syria has begun, and “I am certain that the Syrians who sought refuge in Germany want to rebuild their homeland,” Merz said.
He believes economic growth and stability in Syria are two key pillars for making reconstruction succeed, and that Syrians returning from Germany will play an important role through the experience they gained there.
Syrian doctors and engineers can remain in Germany, but their homeland needs them, Merz said, adding that the expertise Syrians gained while in Germany is important for both Germany and Syria.
No to turning the region into an arena for settling scores
Al-Sharaa said Syria is following the military escalation in the region with deep concern, strongly condemns any infringement on the security and sovereignty of sister Arab states, and categorically rejects turning the region into an arena for settling scores.
He added that the military escalation in the region carries major risks for global energy supplies and prices, as well as the risk of wider spillover, renewing his condemnation of Iranian attacks targeting Gulf Arab states.
He also condemned Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, and the occupation of new land, calling on the international community to fulfill its moral and legal responsibilities.
Al-Sharaa said it should not take a war to reveal that Syria is a secure land corridor for supply chains and energy flows, as routes must always be diversified and the world should have more than one option. Historically, Syria’s geographic location has made it a link between East and West.
He concluded by saying, “We are engaged in many discussions with countries in the region to look for secure routes for supply chains and energy supplies.”
Memorandums of understanding with German companies
President al-Sharaa held a roundtable meeting with a number of representatives of German companies, attended by the ministers of foreign affairs and expatriates, economy, energy, and emergency and disaster management.
The companies presented proposals in several economic sectors, including energy, finance, security, digital transformation, construction, healthcare, and logistics.
The meeting also witnessed the signing of several memorandums of understanding between the Syrian side and a number of participating companies.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir revealed that the ministry signed two memorandums with Siemens to cooperate on building a command and operation system for the Syrian grid, in addition to signing a memorandum with Knauf for gypsum board manufacturing, as well as cooperation in the fields of water and energy.
President al-Sharaa said many amendments have been made to the investment law to facilitate and encourage investment in Syria.
He added that Germany has a large Syrian community, and German entities interested in investing in Syria can benefit from this pool of talent educated at German universities.
In his speech at the German-Syrian Business Forum held in Berlin, he said Syria represents a secure route for energy supply chains through its strategic location, and that it offers major investment opportunities in infrastructure and oil and gas resources.
For his part, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said during the German-Syrian Business Forum that Syria’s vision is based on reconstruction and development after the vast destruction left by the former regime.
He pointed to major ambitions to place Syria among advanced countries and to close the dark chapters it has gone through.
Al-Sharaa in Germany
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived at the residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the capital, Berlin, on Monday, March 30.
The visit came at the invitation of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was set to receive al-Sharaa at the Chancellery in a meeting expected to define the contours of the next phase in bilateral relations.
The German government suggested the visit would discuss the return of Syrian refugees to their country and the reconstruction of Syria.
Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said when announcing the visit on March 27 that Germany’s mission is to see Syria rebuild itself into a stable and prosperous country.
Welcome met with criticism
The visit was welcomed by members of the Syrian refugee community in Germany, who gathered near the hotel where the Syrian delegation was staying.
At the same time, the visit drew criticism from some political circles in Germany, which expressed reservations about receiving what they described as a “controversial” figure like al-Sharaa, arguing that it could amount to granting official legitimacy to a leadership facing criticism over its human rights record.
German Left Party lawmaker Cansu Özdemir said Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s meeting with al-Sharaa “is not a diplomatic step, but moral bankruptcy.”
She considered that Merz was granting legitimacy to Islamists “who commit massacres against unwanted ethnic and religious groups such as Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Kurds,” in her words.
Stefan Kornelius explained that Syria’s internal political situation, and the status of its various ethnic groups, would play a role in the talks held at the Chancellery.
President al-Sharaa arrived in the German capital Berlin at the head of a Syrian delegation on the evening of Sunday, March 29.
On Sunday evening, al-Sharaa met with a delegation from the Syrian community in Germany and praised their attachment to their national identity and their keenness to support Syria’s path of rebuilding and development, stressing the importance of their role in conveying the true image of Syria and defending its causes.
Discussions were held on various political and economic issues, as well as the challenges facing Syrians at home and abroad.
President al-Sharaa’s visit to Berlin carries exceptional significance as his first official visit to Germany since taking power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024.
The visit is inseparable from broader shifts in relations between Damascus and European capitals after years of political rupture and diplomatic isolation.
if you think the article contain wrong information or you have additional details
