Evi Filipi to step down as Czech ambassador to Syria after 13 years in post

Eva Filipi is stepping down as Czech ambassador to Syria on October 31 after 13 years in the post, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Daniel Drake confirmed to Czech news site Seznam Zprávy.

Seznam Zprávy describes Eva Filipi's tenure in Syria as "one of the most mysterious projects of Czech diplomacy". Ms. Filipi was one of the very few Western diplomats who remained in Syria during the civil war, and Czechia was the only EU country to maintain operations at its embassy in Syria throughout the conflict. The Czech embassy also represented the United States in Syria, as the US closed its embassy in the country in 2012.

Ms. Filipi received a state award from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before the end of her tenure, which the Czech Foreign Ministry describes as "standard procedure" for departing ambassadors in Syria, with the formal event fully under the control of the host country.