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Macron’s Damascus talks
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria for talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, greeted at Damascus International Airport on Monday evening by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.
Macron said in a post on X, “I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people,” adding, “For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours,” as the visit was framed as a new chapter of stability and peace.
The Al Jazeera report said both the French and Syrian presidents are scheduled to travel to Ankara on Tuesday for the NATO summit, where al-Sharaa is expected to have a high-profile meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said Macron was travelling with a business delegation to discuss regional security as well as investment opportunities, while the Brussels Morning account described the trip as meetings with al-Sharaa to strengthen diplomatic ties and discuss regional security and Syria’s recovery.
Brussels Morning also said the visit would include discussions on reconstruction efforts, counterterrorism cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and broader Middle East stability as both governments sought to reset France-Syria relations.
Voices and diplomatic framing
Macron’s arrival was accompanied by a diplomatic message that he posted on X, saying, “Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.”
The Syrian presidency’s spokesperson, as quoted by Brussels Morning, said, “This visit represents an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation and expand constructive dialogue between our two countries.”
Euronews reported that Macron was welcomed upon his arrival by Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Chaibani, and it said France had not wished to communicate about Macron’s trip up to his landing “notably for security reasons.”
Euronews also said the Élysée stated Macron would return to the Syrian authorities archaeological objects loaned to France before the war, and it quoted the Élysée saying the president was bringing back objects “loaned to the Arab World Institute in 2010.”
Roya News described the visit as Macron’s first French presidential visit to Syria since 2008, while SANA’s framing in the SANA article tied the diplomatic shift to milestones that reshaped Syria-France relations after the fall of the deposed regime.
Rebuilding, security, and risk
The sources linked the diplomatic push to rebuilding and security challenges, with Al Jazeera saying Syria is still battered from 13 years of war that left much of it in ruins and drove millions into poverty.
Al Jazeera added that “It will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild,” while the Brussels Morning account said discussions were expected to focus on reconstruction efforts, humanitarian cooperation, and Syria’s recovery following years of conflict.
Mont Carlo Internationale reported that the visit comes as a bombing at a cafe in Damascus on Thursday left ten people dead, calling it “a fresh test of the state’s ability to consolidate internal stability.”
Skay News Arabia said the Syrian presidency announced an “anticipated visit” by Macron to Damascus without specifying a date, and it stressed that “the discussions will address developments in regional and international affairs.”
In parallel, the Al Jazeera report said Macron hosted al-Sharaa in Paris in May 2025 and that Paris supported Syria’s new leadership even as Western governments were concerned about the treatment and inclusion of women and minorities in Syria’s new government.
