Berlin on Monday advocated a pragmatic approach to Syria's transitional government after the new leader in Damascus declined to shake the hand of visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

The German and French foreign ministers are heading to Damascus to send what the German minister said is a clear signal that a ''political new beginning" between Europe and Syria is possible.

During her visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock outlined clear conditions for European support of Syria's new leadership and emphasized that Germany and the European Union are committed to fostering a peaceful and free future for Syria.

The more than one million Syrians who fled to Germany have celebrated the end of war in their homeland, but some fear it could mean losing their refugee status.

The visit by European ministers symbolizes a significant shift in international diplomacy following years of strained relations between Europe and Syria.

Top diplomats from Germany and France went to Damascus on behalf of the European Union. It’s the first such trip in years, part of a flurry of Western outreach.

All Syrian groups, including women and Kurds, must be involved in the country's transition if Damascus wants European support, Germany's foreign minister said after a closely-watched first meeting with the new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday.

The top diplomats from Germany and France were in Syria on Friday to send what the German minister called a clear signal that Europe and Syria can have a "political new beginning" after Islamist insurgents ousted Bashar Assad.

The foreign ministers of Germany and France said they wanted to forge a new relationship with Syria and urged a peaceful transition as they visited Damascus on Friday meet its de facto new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on behalf of the European Union.

Germany has commissioned several aid projects worth €60 million ($62.5 million) in Syria following the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad, according to Development Minister Svenja Schulze. "The humanitarian situation of the people in Syria is catastrophic,

Israel’s continued military operations in Syria, which it said on Sunday are intended to “strengthen the defense of Israel’s citizens,” have drawn accusations from the United Nations and some member states that Israel is violating a decades-long cease-fire by sending its troops within and beyond a buffer zone between the countries.