Spain raises flag at Damascus embassy after 12-year closure

Spain raised its flag at Madrid's Damascus embassy Thursday, in the presence of its top diplomat more than a decade after suspending activity and as Western countries resume ties following Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

Spain closed the mission in March 2012, a year after Assad began brutal repression of anti-government protests, triggering more than 13 years of war.

"It is an honour for me to be here in person," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said at the embassy, where the Spanish national anthem was played, an AFP correspondent reported.

"Raising the Spanish flag again is a sign of the hope we have for Syria's future, of the commitment we convey to the Syrian people for a better future."

A statement from the foreign ministry ahead of the visit said Albares would meet representatives of Syria's new administration and of civil society.

The trip comes more than a month after rebels led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Assad. Top European officials, including foreign ministers from France and Germany, have made a series of visits to meet with the country's new rulers.

A transitional administration has been appointed until March and HTS, which has roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, has sought to reassure minorities that they will not be harmed and the rule of law will be respected.

Albares told public broadcaster TVE ahead of the visit that "the message that I want to send is a message of support to Syria".

"But we also have red lines. Syria must be peaceful. Syria must be inclusive, and the rights of all must be respected, including those of women, and ethnic and religious minorities," he added.

"This will be my first official trip this year", Albares told TVE, adding he "wanted to start with one of the regions where Spanish foreign policy is most influential and where we work hardest to achieve peace".

Albares's trip to Syria followed a visit to neighboring Lebanon on Wednesday, where he announced a 10 million euro ($10.3 million) aid package for the country's army, nearly two months into a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

© Agence France-Presse