France raised its flag at its Damascus embassy on Tuesday for the first time in 12 years and European Union officials prepared to engage with the new Syrian leadership, a sign of the growing contacts after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president.

France will continue to work with its partners to help Syrians find a way to achieve reconciliation and reconstruction through a politically inclusive solution,' says Foreign Ministry - Anadolu Ajansı

France raised a flag on Tuesday over its embassy in Damascus, Syria, after it had been closed for 12 years during the country's civil war, the foreign ministry said.