UPDATE - France raises flag at its embassy in Damascus

ADDS STATEMENT FROM FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY; REVISES DECK, LEDE

By Nur Asena Erturk and Burak Bir

ANKARA/LONDON (AA) - France raised its flag Tuesday at its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus after it had been closed for more than 12 years.

French special envoy for Syria Jean-Francois Guillaume and a delegation travelled to the capital following an announcement by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

The delegation retook possession of the embassy, reopened its gates, and the tricolor French flag was raised.

Guillaume said he could not give an exact date for the official reopening as long as the security criteria were not fulfilled.

Barrot announced Sunday that a delegation comprised of four diplomats would go to Syria to "establish the first contact and to measure...the urgent needs of the Syrian population on a humanitarian level, but also to check whether the statements of this new authority…are followed by actions in the field."

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said the French mission spoke with a representative appointed by the transitional authorities in Syria.

"They noted that in keeping with the ideals of the 2011 revolution, which it supported, France hoped for a peaceful political transition that would represent all components of Syrian society and respect the rights of all Syrians," it said.

During the meeting, they also emphasized that France would be paying close attention to whether collective security interests were guaranteed, including the continuation of the fight against Daesh/ISIS and other terrorist groups and the prevention of the spread of chemical weapons from the Syrian regime.

The mission also spoke with representatives of diverse Syrian communities, "expressing France’s commitment to a pluralistic Syria" in which the rights of all would be preserved within the framework of common citizenship," according to the ministry.

France will continue to work with its partners to help Syrians find a way to achieve reconciliation and reconstruction through a politically inclusive solution, the statement added.

France closed its embassy in March 2012 due to the Bashar Assad regime’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests that year.

Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.​​​​​​​