Swedish Ministers Make Unannounced Visit to Syria
beirut/Damascus – Swedish ministers Johan Forssell and Benjamin Dousa conducted a previously undisclosed visit to Syria on Monday, marking the first such trip by Swedish government officials since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December of last year. The delegation, comprised of approximately 15 people including ministerial staff, embassy personnel, and representatives from the Swedish Security Police (Säpo), traveled from Beirut, Lebanon, where they arrived Sunday evening and were met by Lebanese officials.
The visit’s secrecy was prioritized by the Swedish side, according to information obtained by Expressen. Prior to the trip, Säpo personnel conducted a security assessment within Syria earlier this week. The delegation crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria Monday morning, utilizing vehicles from a non-Swedish embassy for security purposes.
The trip occurs amidst ongoing instability in Syria, prompting the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advise against all travel to the country.The current transitional president of Syria is Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former member of al-Qaeda and, at the time of Assad’s removal, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.