Germany’s Baerbock Speaks Out on Syrian Handshake Scandal

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addresses the controversy surrounding her handshake with a Syrian official, calling for clarity on the situation.

Syria’s de facto leader declining to shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was anticipated, according to her comments on the controversy.

Baerbock and her French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, unexpectedly traveled to Syria on Friday. During their visit, they met with the country’s de facto leader—Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, widely recognized by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani—the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group.

The meeting began with an awkward moment when al-Sharaa extended a handshake to Barrot but deliberately avoided shaking hands with Baerbock, opting instead to place his right hand on his heart. Known for his hardline Islamist views, the new Syrian leader refuses to shake hands with women. The French foreign minister nearly succeeded in sidestepping al-Sharaa’s gesture, while Baerbock initially seemed poised for a handshake before resorting to clapping her hands in the air.

“As I made my way here, it became evident that there would certainly be no typical handshakes,” Baerbock shared with German media late Friday.

“However, it was evident that neither I nor the French foreign minister agreed with this perspective. As a result, the French foreign minister did not offer his hand,” she stated.

In their meeting with al-Sharaa, the two ministers discussed women’s rights in the country. Barrot mentioned in a post on X that they received confirmation “from the new Syrian authorities that there will be extensive involvement—especially by women—in the political transition.”

In November last year, militant groups led by HTS jihadists launched a surprise attack on the government of former President Bashar Assad. The offensive quickly led to the collapse of the Syrian military within days and resulted in Assad’s government’s fall.