Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is postponing his planned visit to Berlin on Monday and Tuesday due to the political situation in his country, a German government spokesman told dpa on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa was supposed to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, several federal ministers and business representatives on Tuesday to discuss the repatriation of Syrian refugees and the reconstruction of Syria after almost 14 years of civil war. Merz had invited al-Sharaa to Germany in November.
The visit was criticised by the Kurdish and Alawite communities in Germany, who accuse the Syrian government of violently oppressing ethnic and religious minorities. Several demonstrations against the visit had been planned for Monday and Tuesday.
The announcement of the trip's postponement came shortly after the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that al-Sharaa had reached an agreement to enforce a ceasefire between government forces and the US-allied Kurdish-led forces in eastern and northern Syria.
A "comprehensive and immediate ceasefire on all fronts and points of contact" between the government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was announced under the terms of an agreement published by SANA.
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, who helped mediate the negotiations, welcomed on X the ceasefire and spoke of a "pivotal inflection point where former adversaries embrace partnership over division."
The SDF is an important US ally against the Islamic State terrorist militia in the country. Kurdish media also reported on the agreement.
Previously, the conflict between Damascus and the SDF had escalated increasingly. In recent days, government troops brought strategically important areas in northern and eastern Syria under their control. The SDF's withdrawal from several areas also led to fighting.
Despite the ceasefire announced by Damascus, the conflict with the Kurds in north-eastern Syria is likely to continue to occupy al-Sharaa intensively.
Even after the agreement between the two sides in March 2025, there were problems with implementation and unresolved points of contention, which ultimately erupted into new violence.
It is unclear when and to what extent the details of the agreement will be implemented and whether there could be resistance, for example from fighters in the ranks of the SDF who perceive the commitments made to Damascus as a defeat.
Under the terms of the agreement SDF fighters are to be incorporated into the Syrian interior and defence ministries, but as individual soldiers, not as an SDF or Kurdish unit.
