Damascus, Syria. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria on Monday in the first visit to Damascus by a European Union head of state since rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024. The trip highlights Syria’s geopolitical shift under Sharaa as he seeks to rebuild the country after 13 years of war.
Visit agenda and meetings
Macron said on X that he was in Syria to affirm France’s commitment to the Syrian people and support “a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours,” adding: “Together, let’s open a new page of stability and peace.”
He was greeted at Damascus airport by Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani and is scheduled to hold a working dinner with Sharaa before further meetings on Tuesday, according to an agenda from the French presidency.
Reconstruction and business delegation
Syria’s reconstruction is expected to be one of the main themes of the visit. Macron is accompanied by business leaders including the CEOs of TotalEnergies and French container shipping group CMA CGM, a French presidential official said ahead of the trip.
The same official said Macron would also stress France’s commitment to a free, pluralistic Syria that respects all of its communities and that he would meet Syrians from different backgrounds and affiliations.
Political transition under Sharaa
Sharaa, a member of Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority, has pledged to build an inclusive new order since ending more than five decades of Assad family rule. His promise has faced challenges, however, as bouts of violence between pro-government forces and members of religious and ethnic minority groups left many hundreds dead last year.
A French presidential official said Syria could only be a partner for France if pluralism was fully taken into account and that France would not accept one form of exclusive power being replaced by another.
France’s role and international ties
Sharaa met Macron during a visit to France last year, his first to a European country since toppling Assad. Macron was among the leading voices calling for the lifting of Western sanctions, which were largely removed last year.
Sharaa, who severed ties with al Qaeda in 2016, has built close relations with Western and Middle Eastern powers that had shunned Assad. Last year, Damascus joined the U.S.-led global coalition against Islamic State, and Sharaa has also developed close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump.