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.

The French and German foreign ministers are the most senior Western officials to visit Syria since longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled by rebels.

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.