Macron visits Syria with reconstruction high on agenda

DAMASCUS: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria on Monday in what Syrian state media described as the first visit to Damascus by a European Union head of state since rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

The trip highlights Syria’s shifting diplomatic position under Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who has built closer relations with Western and Middle Eastern governments that had previously kept their distance from Assad, while seeking to rebuild a country devastated by 13 years of conflict.

After arriving, Macron said in a post on X that France wanted to stand by Syrians and support stability in the country and the region. "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," he wrote.

Macron was received at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.

Reconstruction and political messaging

Syria’s reconstruction is expected to be a central subject of the visit. Ahead of the trip, a French presidential official told reporters that Macron was being accompanied by business figures, including the chief executives of TotalEnergies and French shipping group CMA CGM.

The same official said Macron would also underline France’s support for a free and pluralistic Syria that protects all of its communities, and that he would meet Syrians from different backgrounds and affiliations during the visit.

Macron had previously emerged as a prominent advocate for lifting Western sanctions on Syria, which had severely constrained the country’s economy and were largely removed last year. Sharaa also met Macron during a visit to France last year, which was his first trip to a European country after Assad’s fall.

Broader diplomatic outreach

Macron’s visit comes after a series of high-level foreign engagements with Syria’s new leadership. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose country strongly supported the anti-Assad rebellion, became the first foreign head of state to visit Syria after Assad was toppled when he travelled there in January 2025.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also visited Damascus in January, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met Sharaa during a trip to Syria in April.

Macron’s visit adds to those diplomatic contacts as Syria’s new leadership seeks international backing and economic recovery after years of war.