The European Union is stepping up efforts to build ties with Syria’s new leaders while seeking to reduce Russia’s influence in the war-torn country with a visit by the foreign ministers of Germany and France to Damascus.

Germany’s Analena Berbock and her French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barot, held talks with Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, on Friday. They are the highest-ranking Western officials to visit Syria since al-Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month.

Burbock said in a statement before leaving Berlin that the EU wants to help Syria achieve “a comprehensive, peaceful transfer of power” as well as with reconstruction efforts, while acknowledging that it will be “a difficult road”.

“There can only be a new beginning if the new Syrian society gives all Syrians, women and men, regardless of ethnic or religious group, a place in the political process, grants them rights and offers them protection,” he added.

For his part, Barrow said in a post on X that France and Germany “stand by the side of the Syrian people, in all their diversity” and wish to promote “regional stability”.

After the talks, Burbock said that while Europe was ready to offer its support, it would not be “the sponsor of new Islamic structures”.

“It was very clear after a very long discussion that it was understood that the inclusion of all different groups, and especially women and others like the Kurds, in all transitional structures is a key point,” said Burbock, who is a member of the Greens.

However, an event during the arrival of the German foreign minister overshadowed the atmosphere as, contrary to Western standards, Ahmed al-Sara refused to shake hands with Burbock, giving his hand only to the French Foreign Minister.

HTS does not yet control all of Syria and it will likely be years before there is stability to hold elections. In addition, many Syrians and Western states remain wary of HTS, which was an offshoot of al-Qaeda until 2016. The group’s leaders maintain that their government will be moderate and treat all Syrians fairly. The US, whose officials met with al-Sharaa last month, announced it would lift a $10 million bounty on the group’s leader, but still designates HTS as a terrorist organization, as do the EU and UK .

For Berlin, the relationship with HTS has added significance because it seeks the return of some of the approximately one million Syrians who immigrated to Germany when Assad was in power.

Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, a long-time dictator whose government has been accused of torture and oppression, HTS has been reaching out to non-Muslim communities to reassure them of their rights and freedoms.

“We know where HTS is coming from ideologically, what it has done in the past,” Burbok said. “Despite the skepticism, we must not miss the opportunity to support the Syrian people at this important crossroads.”

He also called on Russia to withdraw its military presence in Syria. The Kremlin maintains two key facilities in the country – a naval port at Tartus on the Mediterranean coast and a nearby air base at Khmeimim.

Some G7 nations and their allies are exploring ways to allow Syria to find alternatives to Russian oil and food imports, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ukraine sent Syria a shipment of wheat last month. Like the EU, it is trying to build ties with the new leaders in Damascus, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he wanted to restore diplomatic ties that were severed in 2022 after Assad backed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, however, Bloomberg reported that talks were underway between Moscow and HTS to allow Russian forces to remain. Their withdrawal from Syria would be a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been a key ally of Assad, as the development would reduce his influence in the Middle East and make it difficult for Moscow to manage its military operations in Africa.

Baerbock, who said she and Barrow were in Syria representing the EU, accused Putin of covering up crimes by the Assad regime during the Syrian civil war.

“The Syrian people will not forget the massive bombings and human rights violations,” he said. “Germany and its international partners are also committed to ensuring that Syria’s internal process is not disrupted from outside.”