Baerbock from Germany Reacts to Controversy Over Handshake with Syrian
The German foreign minister has noted that an uncomfortable encounter, lacking conventional greetings, with the new de facto leader of Syria was anticipated. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
An awkward scene without ordinary greetings was anticipated, the foreign minister has stated.
The refusal of Syria’s de facto leader to shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was expected, as acknowledged by the top German diplomat.
Baerbock, along with her French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, unexpectedly visited Syria on Friday, meeting with the country's de facto leader, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist group.
The meeting began on an uncomfortable note when al-Sharaa offered a handshake to Barrot but deliberately avoided shaking hands with Baerbock, instead placing his right hand on his heart. Al-Sharaa’s refusal to shake hands with women stems from his hardline Islamist beliefs. The French foreign minister narrowly evaded al-Sharaa’s offer, while Baerbock initially seemed to reach out to the leader but instead ended up clapping her hands in the air.
“As I traveled here, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes,” Baerbock shared with German media late Friday.
“But it was also clear… that not only I, but also the French foreign minister, did not share this view. And accordingly, the French foreign minister did not extend his hands,” she elaborated.
During their meeting with al-Sharaa, the two ministers discussed the issue of women’s rights in Syria, receiving acknowledgment “from the new Syrian authorities that there will be broad participation – particularly by women – in the political transition,” Barrot stated in a post on X.
Militant groups led by HTS jihadists launched a surprise offensive against the government of former President Bashar Assad in November of last year. This attack led to the rapid collapse of the Syrian military and the subsequent downfall of Assad’s government.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
The refusal of Syria’s de facto leader to shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was expected, as acknowledged by the top German diplomat.
Baerbock, along with her French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, unexpectedly visited Syria on Friday, meeting with the country's de facto leader, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist group.
The meeting began on an uncomfortable note when al-Sharaa offered a handshake to Barrot but deliberately avoided shaking hands with Baerbock, instead placing his right hand on his heart. Al-Sharaa’s refusal to shake hands with women stems from his hardline Islamist beliefs. The French foreign minister narrowly evaded al-Sharaa’s offer, while Baerbock initially seemed to reach out to the leader but instead ended up clapping her hands in the air.
“As I traveled here, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes,” Baerbock shared with German media late Friday.
“But it was also clear… that not only I, but also the French foreign minister, did not share this view. And accordingly, the French foreign minister did not extend his hands,” she elaborated.
During their meeting with al-Sharaa, the two ministers discussed the issue of women’s rights in Syria, receiving acknowledgment “from the new Syrian authorities that there will be broad participation – particularly by women – in the political transition,” Barrot stated in a post on X.
Militant groups led by HTS jihadists launched a surprise offensive against the government of former President Bashar Assad in November of last year. This attack led to the rapid collapse of the Syrian military and the subsequent downfall of Assad’s government.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
