The visits of German Interior Minister Nancy Feser and her Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner to Syria have been canceled due to security threats.

Axar.az reports that the military plane that was supposed to transport the minister and the delegation from Jordan to Damascus has returned.

A spokesman for the German Interior Ministry said that the decision was related to specific terrorist threats.

The visit was scheduled to include meetings with two ministers of the transitional government, as well as representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, and the World Food Program. The talks were planned to discuss the return of refugees and security issues.

The reassessment of the security situation in Syria has also affected the activities of the German embassy in Damascus. Since the embassy is still operating in a limited mode, consular services are provided through Beirut.