Overview
- Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius confirmed Friday that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will host Ahmed al‑Scharaa on Monday in Berlin, with talks focused on the regional war, refugee returns and Syria’s reconstruction, and a meeting with President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier.
- Berlin police announced street closures and assembly bans from Sunday evening through Monday around Potsdamer Platz, Schloss Bellevue and the Chancellery because protests are expected.
- Earlier Friday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Syrian emergency minister Raed al‑Saleh signed a disaster‑response pact that will bring in Germany’s THW, a volunteer civil protection agency, to train crews and help rebuild operations centers in Syria.
- Kurdish and human‑rights groups condemned the invitation and urged binding conditions on any aid, arguing al‑Scharaa lacks democratic legitimacy and bears responsibility for abuses and possible war crimes against minorities.
- Germany has a deal to allow deportations to Syria but returns have moved slowly, and officials have lined up business talks as Berlin weighs economic engagement alongside security and rights concerns.