An extremely embarrassing – by Western standards – scene was captured by the cameras during the reception of German Minister Analena Burbock by the de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sara, in Damascus.

Al-Sara welcomed the German foreign minister and her French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barreau, in the first visit of European officials to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, shaking hands with Barreau but not Analena Burbock, who he greeted with a nod, as his culture forbids shaking hands with women.

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In the same context, the officials of the de facto government who come from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham welcomed her without shaking hands, putting one hand on the point of the heart.

It seems that the German minister was aware of the issue, who did not seem surprised and kept her hands tied.

In any case, the overall reception of the two ministers was judged as friendly for al-Sara’s data by the foreign media.