Czech Foreign Ministry withdraws diplomats from Syria, issues travel warning

The Czech Foreign Ministry has issued a strong warning against travel to Syria, urging Czech citizens there to leave as soon as possible due to ongoing conflict.

All Czech diplomats have been temporarily withdrawn from Damascus, along with three Czech citizens, who have been relocated to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said after the ministry’s Crisis Staff meeting on Sunday. According to Mr. Lipavský, three Czechs are currently registered in Syria through the ministry's Drozd travel system.

The minister stated that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), involved in the fall of Assad, remains classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and UN. The Czech government has no contact with them and no plans to engage. He emphasized that a political solution in line with UN Resolution 2254 is the only path to peace in Syria.