Austrian Interior Minister sees relative stability in Syria and calls for dialogue with Damascus.

Gernot Karther, the Austrian Interior Minister, emphasized that the situation in Syria is "more stable than some believe," stressing the importance of opening communication channels with the Syrian government. This came during his meeting with German-speaking interior ministers in Krems, west of Vienna.

According to the Austrian newspaper "Heute," Karther said: "Syria is more stable than some believe, and it is better to engage with the Syrian government rather than remain inactive. It is also better to have an active presence there, rather than being mere spectators."

He added that dealing with the Syrian file "must be coordinated, especially at the European level," revealing "intensive discussions" he had with his Syrian counterpart Anas Khateb during his recent visit to Damascus.

The two sides discussed "the issue of the return of Syrian refugees, whether voluntary or forced, in addition to steps in training Syrian security forces and organizing return and deportation operations."

It is worth noting that the Syrian Interior Minister received a joint European delegation last Sunday, including representatives from Germany and Austria, such as the German Minister Nancy Faeser and the Austrian Interior Minister Karther, where ways to enhance security cooperation and common interests among the three countries were discussed.