French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in Syria, in the first visit to Damascus by a European Union head of state since the ouster of the Bashar al Assad regime in December 2024.
The visit on Monday underlines Syria's geopolitical transformation under President Ahmed al Sharaa.
"I am here to affirm France's commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours. Together, let's open a new page of stability and peace," Macron said in a post on X published after his arrival.
He was received at Damascus airport by the Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shaibani, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
Syria's reconstruction is set to be one of the key themes of the trip, and Macron will be accompanied by business leaders, including the CEOs of TotalEnergies and French container shipping group CMA CGM, a French presidential official told reporters in a briefing ahead of the visit.
"Macron has sought to engage with us in Syria and followed every step and stage of the transition," al Sharaa said in a televised interview with French broadcaster BFMTV aired on Monday evening.
Al Sharaa met Macron during a visit to France last year, his first to a European country since toppling Assad.
The French president was a leading voice calling for the lifting of Western sanctions that had throttled the Syrian economy and were largely removed last year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Damascus in January, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met al Sharaa during a visit to Syria in April.
On Sunday, Syria's presidential media directorate said the French president’s visit will include a roundtable meeting between Macron, Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa and their respective delegations.
