French frigate docks in Latakia on first French warship visit to Syria

The French frigate "Surcouf" docked at Latakia port, where naval commanders from both countries discussed strengthening maritime military cooperation aboard the vessel. The visit follows the signing, months earlier, of a framework declaration on security and defence cooperation between Damascus and Paris.

The French frigate "Surcouf" docked this week at Latakia port on Syria’s coast in a visit that French and Syrian officials described as the "first visit by a French military vessel to Syria". The frigate arrived at the port on Wednesday. Photographs released by the French Navy and the Syrian Defence Ministry showed the vessel moored at the quay with the Syrian flag flying from its mast.

The Syrian Defence Ministry and the Syrian Arab News Agency "SANA" said Brigadier General Mohammad al-Saud, commander of the Syrian army’s naval forces and coastal defence, received a French military delegation aboard the frigate led by Admiral Makara Ok, deputy commander of the French maritime region in the Mediterranean, in the presence of officers from both navies. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen maritime military cooperation and develop bilateral relations.

الفرقاطة الفرنسية سوركوف في ميناء اللاذقية

"Foundations for maritime cooperation"

French chargé d’affaires to Syria Jean-Baptiste Favre said on Wednesday that the visit by the "Surcouf" to Latakia reflected France’s support for Syria’s stability and sovereignty. He thanked the Syrian Navy for its warm reception and said the talks aimed to establish "the foundations of maritime cooperation between our two countries".

The French maritime region’s command in the Mediterranean said the port call aimed to lay the foundations for cooperation in defence and maritime security. It described the talks as a practical dialogue serving regional stability and shared security interests. Neither side specified the timeframe for the phrase "first visit". France administered Syria under a League of Nations mandate until 1946.

Gradual opening between Paris and Damascus

The visit comes amid broader rapprochement between the two countries. On 7 July, Syria and France signed a framework declaration in Damascus on cooperation in security and defence during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Syria. Macron and Syrian officials also agreed to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries at ambassadorial level. On 23 September, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra discussed ways to develop defence cooperation with a delegation from the French Directorate General of Armaments, SANA said.

الفرقاطة الفرنسية سوركوف (F711) تبحر في البحر المتوسط

The "Surcouf", bearing the number F711, belongs to the multi-purpose La Fayette-class frigates. It entered service with the French Navy on 7 February 1997, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Photos: French Navy, Anadolu, U.S. Navy

French frigate docks in Latakia on first French warship visit to Syria