German diplomats’ meeting with members of the interim Syrian government was a good opportunity to make contact with the country’s new de facto rulers, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said. “This was the first good opportunity to get in touch with HTS and the de facto guardians in Damascus,” the spokesperson said, referring to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group left in charge following the ouster of president Bashar Al Assad.
