Published On 7/6/2026
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Last update: 14:35 (Mecca time)
The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Damascus, announced yesterday by the Syrian presidency, comes as an important milestone in the history of Syrian-French relations, which have crossed prominent milestones since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
Notable connotations
Macron’s visit is the first by a French president to Syria since Nicolas Sarkozy’s visits to Damascus in 2008 and 2009, before the break with Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and it is the first for a Western leader after the fall of the regime about a year and a half ago.
The Syrian Presidency’s Information Directorate explained yesterday, Sunday, that Presidents Al-Sharaa and Macron “will hold a round dialogue session with the two delegations,” adding that the discussions “will address developments in the regional and international situation, and the prospects for bilateral cooperation in various fields, within the framework of the common interest to continue political dialogue and strengthen relations between the two countries.”
Early French openness
French openness to the new Syrian administration began early. Paris sent a diplomatic delegation days after the fall of the previous regime to meet with Syrian officials, and raised the French flag over the French embassy building in Damascus for the first time since 2012.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock held talks with President Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in early January 2025, and they announced from the Syrian capital their countries’ intention to restore their diplomatic missions and open a new page in relations with the Syrian state.
Paris conference
Paris took an additional step to support the new Syrian leadership, hosting an international conference in support of Damascus in February 2025, with the participation of foreign ministers from about 20 countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Lebanon, in addition to Western powers.
These countries agreed in a statement to “make every effort to assist the new authorities in Syria and protect the country during the transitional period,” while President Macron urged the Syrian authorities to partner with the international coalition to fight ISIS.
The participants also said that they would work to “ensure the success of the post-Bashar al-Assad transition within the framework of a Syrian-led process that adheres to the core principles of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254.”
In turn, Barrow announced that the participants in the Paris conference on Syria “agreed to form a working group to coordinate efforts to support Syria.”
Sharia in the Elysee
President Macron received his Syrian counterpart at the Elysee Palace in May 2025 during President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s first official visit to a Western country after assuming power, in a political step that carried important implications.
The two presidents discussed “a number of bilateral and regional issues,” and the issue of “reconstruction and prospects for economic cooperation and development in Syria,” according to official Syrian media.
The French President called for “the necessity of working quickly to lift sanctions on Syria, which needs a long period to recover,” adding: “There is a leader who put an end to the previous regime that we denounced.”
In turn, President Al-Sharaa said that France “was one of the first European countries to expel the regime’s diplomatic missions, following the horrific massacres it committed, and the first European country to recognize the political opposition, and France invested in humanitarian and political efforts and accountability files,” adding: “We appreciate it for that, and it is enough for a visionary country like France to have a history of shaping the features of the modern state for it to realize and appreciate this right in another country.”
Latakia Port Agreement
The Syrian government and the French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM signed a 30-year contract with Syria to develop and operate the port of Latakia in May 2025.
A year later, an agreement was signed with CMA CGM to operate two dry ports in the Adra regions near Damascus and Aleppo, in a move aimed at revitalizing the logistical and commercial infrastructure after years of war.
The agreement includes the management and operation of the two dry ports within the free zones, to support the movement of transport, logistics services, and internal and external trade.
Economic dimensions
Macron’s visit has clear economic dimensions, with the presence of a delegation of representatives of French companies interested in participating in the rehabilitation of the Syrian economy, after years of war.
The Syrian Presidency’s Information Directorate indicated that a delegation “that includes investors and representatives of French companies is accompanying Macron,” considering this an indication of the two sides’ intention to enhance economic cooperation in addition to political files.
