The head of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Ashad Al-Suleibi, announced plans for the complete rehabilitation of Aleppo and Damascus airports with assistance from various partners.

 

He stated that this initiative aims to prepare the airports to receive flights from around the world, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

 

Suleibi also announced that international flights to and from Damascus International Airport will commence on Jan. 7, 2025.

 

Read more: Syria’s new foreign minister to visit Jordan

 

In a related development, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, head of the new Syrian administration, met on Friday with the foreign ministers of France and Germany at the Presidential Palace in Damascus, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

 

This meeting marked the first high-level engagement between Sharaa and Western officials, attended by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

 

During his visit, Barrot expressed his hope for Syria to become "sovereign, stable, and peaceful," emphasizing that a new hope emerged thanks to the mobilization of the Syrian people.

 

He described this hope as "real but fragile."

 

Meanwhile, Baerbock highlighted the importance of including all sects in Syria's reconstruction process and informed Sharaa that Europe would not provide funding for new Islamic structures.

 

She also stressed the need for reliable security guarantees for the Kurdish population in Syria.