French President Emmanuel Macron is on a two-day visit to Syria, making him the first European Union leader to visit the war-torn country since the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024.
Macron’s trip on July 6 and 7 unfolds a year after a visit to France by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the transitional president of the Syria, according to the Elysee, the French presidential palace.
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Al-Sharaa, who played an instrumental role in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, has been seeking to end Syria’s decades of isolation. He rebuilt ties with the US, which lifted most economic sanctions, as well European and Gulf countries. A former jihadist, al-Sharaa also secured multiple investment pledges from different nations, including Saudi Arabia.
Macron’s visit is intended to show France’s commitment to the reconstruction of a sovereign and stable Syria, fostering regional stability and diversifying supply routes between Europe and the Middle East, palace said in the statement.
France, the euro area’s second-largest economy, will participate in the reconstruction of Syria’s agriculture, industry and tourism infrastructure as well as its financial sector, al-Sharaa said in an interview with BFMTV. He also lauded France’s “constructive role” during the post-Assad transition.
The visit is the first of a French president to Syria since 2009, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency. Al-Sharaa’s visit to France last year was his first official trip to Europe since assuming power in early 2025.
Macron and al-Sharaa visited Damascus’ landmark Umayyad Mosque following a working dinner on Monday, Agence France-Presse reported. More official meetings are scheduled for Tuesday.
