French President Macron visits Syria, becoming first EU leader to visit since Assad's fall

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday local time reaffirmed Frances support for the Syrian people and called for a sovereign united and peaceful Syria as he arrived in Damascus on his first official visit to the countryThe event marks the first official visit to Syria by a serving European Union head of stateIn a post shared on X Macron said I have come to express Frances commitment to the Syrian people For a sovereign Syria united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours Together let us open a new chapter of stability and peaceJe viens dire lrsquoengagement de la France aupregraves du peuple syrien Pour une Syrie souveraine unie dans sa pluraliteacute et en paix avec ses voisins Ensemble ouvrons une nouvelle page de stabiliteacute et de paixmdash Emmanuel Macron EmmanuelMacron July 6 2026The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates confirmed Macrons arrival in a post on X stating that Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan AlShibani received the French President in the Syrian capitalForeign Minister and Expatriates Mr Asaad Hassan AlShibani received His Excellency the President of the French Republic Mr Emmanuel Macron in the capital Damascus upon his arrival to the Syrian Arab Republic in the first official visit he is conducting to the country the ministry said pictwittercomkxhTkqKnn0mdash syrianmofaex July 6 2026According to France 24 Syrian President Ahmed alSharaa has been working to restore the countrys international standing and revive its struggling economy following the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar alAssad in December 2024Macrons visit marks the first by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy travelled to Syria in 2009 before Assads crackdown on prodemocracy protests in 2011 triggered a civil war that claimed more than half a million lives and left much of the countrys infrastructure and industry in ruins as reported by France 24A deadly bombing at a cafe in Damascus last week underscored the security challenges facing Syrias new Islamistled authorities as they seek to reunify the country after more than 13 years of conflict France 24 reportedMeanwhile Macron hosted Syrian President in May 2025 during his first official visit to a European country ahead of Sharaas subsequent trip to Washington where he met US President Donald TrumpThe French President is accompanied on the visit by senior business leaders including CMA CGM chief executive Rodolphe Saade and Total Energies chief Patrick PouyanneDiscussions are expected to focus on Syrias reconstruction and potential investments although French businesses remain cautious about returning to the country as reported by France 24Macron is also expected to press Sharaa to uphold his commitment to protecting minority communities following sectarian violence in Syrias Alawite and Druze regions last yearCounterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State group and the continued presence of a small number of French jihadists in Syria are also expected to feature in the talks according to France 24Syria joined the international coalition against the Islamic State last yearNeighbouring Turkey remains a key backer of Syrias new leadership while Israel has carried out repeated strikes and military incursions into the country since the fall of Bashar alAssad France 24 reportedMacron is scheduled to travel to Ankara on Tuesday evening for the NATO summit and hold talks with Turkeys president the following dayMeanwhile the White House has said that US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Sharaa on the sidelines of the summit on WednesdayFrance has opposed suggestions by Trump that Syria could take action against Hezbollah in Lebanon where Israel and the Iranbacked group have been engaged in war Sharaa has denied that Syria intends to intervene in Lebanon as reported by France 24This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever