Spain reopened its embassy in Damascus after 12 years following the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria on December 8, with the new administration taking office. The Spanish flag was raised on the embassy building.
“It is an honor for me to be here in person. Raising the Spanish flag again is a sign of the hope we have for Syria’s future, of the commitment we convey to the Syrian people for a better future,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who was making his first official visit to the country.
The Spanish embassy in Damascus was closed in March 2012 after serving for a period when the Bashar Assad regime used violence against peaceful protesters in 2011.