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 French foreign ministry said, Reuters reports.

France sent a team of diplomats to Syria on Tuesday to assess the political and security situation after the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The team will not be staying, and the gesture does not mean the embassy has reopened.

France, which cut ties with Assad in 2012, has said a political transition in Syria must be credible and inclusive, in line with a framework issued by the United Nations.