Macron marks first French visit to Syria since 2009
Shafaq News- Damascus
France’s President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria on Monday, marking the first official visit by a French head of state to Damascus since 2009, local media reported.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani received him at Damascus International Airport.
الرئيس الفرنسي يبدأ زيارة رسمية إلى سوريابدأ الرئيس الفرنسي إيمانويل ماكرون والوفد المرافق له، اليوم الإثنين، زيارة رسمية إلى سوريا.وكان وزير الخارجية والمغتربين أسعد حسن الشيباني في استقبال الرئيس ماكرون والوفد المرافق له لدى وصولهم إلى مطار دمشق الدولي.وتعد هذه الزيارة… pic.twitter.com/ZNBSZMRu1C
— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@Sana__gov) July 6, 2026
Following his arrival, Macron posted on X that France stands with the Syrian people and supports a “united, sovereign Syria” living in peace with its neighbors, adding that the visit opens a new phase of stability and engagement.
Je viens dire l’engagement de la France auprès du peuple syrien. Pour une Syrie souveraine, unie dans sa pluralité et en paix avec ses voisins. Ensemble, ouvrons une nouvelle page de stabilité et de paix.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 6, 2026
Relations between Damascus and Paris have been strained for years following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. France backed the opposition in the early years of the war, closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012, and imposed sanctions on the government of then-president Bashar al-Assad. The last French president to visit Syria was Nicolas Sarkozy.
In a televised interview with French broadcaster BFMTV, Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa described France as a long-standing partner of the Syrian people, noting that contacts with French leadership have been frequent in recent months.
“Paris played a constructive role in the lifting of international sanctions on Damascus,” he stated, calling Macron’s visit an important development in bilateral relations.
Looking ahead to expected outcomes from the visit, al-Sharaa indicated that several agreements are expected to be signed, with France set to participate in infrastructure development, the financial sector, and broader reconstruction and institutional strengthening efforts.
Al-Sharaa met Macron during a visit to France in May 2025, his first to a European country since the ouster of al-Assad.
