DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) 鈥� French President arrived Monday in Syria, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the in 2024.
Ukrainian President visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.
The French president鈥檚 visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon. He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the NATO summit, where is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with .
Syria鈥檚 state-run SANA news agency said Macron would visit with a business delegation to discuss regional security as well as business and investment opportunities.
The French president was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.
鈥淚 have come to express France鈥檚 commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors,鈥� Macron said in a post on X. 鈥淭ogether, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.鈥�
France supports all those who can 鈥渃ontribute to build a new Syria鈥� in line with the aspirations expressed since the , Macron鈥檚 office said, referring to a period of widespread uprisings across the Middle East that called for political change and reform.
Macron will meet with al-Sharaa at the presidential palace and 鈥渆ngage directly with diverse Syrian people,鈥� his office said.
The French president’s meetings are scheduled throughout Tuesday, beginning with members of Syrian civil society, his office said, though no details were disclosed. Macron will then meet with al-Sharaa, before holding economic talks and signing memorandums of understanding. The two leaders will hold a joint news conference afterward.
in May 2025, where he urged European and U.S. leaders to lift longstanding sanctions on Damascus. Most of those sanctions had since been lifted.
Paris supported Syria’s new leadership even at a time where others were skeptical of al-Sharaa鈥檚 Islamist-led rule and former role as the head of the , previously linked to al-Qaida.
Western governments were especially concerned about the treatment and inclusion of women and minorities, and whether Syria’s new government would transition into a more democratic rule.
Syria has managed to sidestep the region’s recent conflicts, but the country is still battered from 13 years of war that left much of it in ruins, drove millions into poverty, and will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild. While Syria has signed memorandums of understanding with states and large companies for large investment projects, they have not yet come to fruition.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press journalist Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
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