French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa during an official visit to the Syrian capital Damascus. The two leaders visited the historic Umayyad Mosque, one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world, and the Old Damascus area, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Presidential press advisor Ahmed Muvaffak Zeydan announced on social media that after the mosque visit, Sharaa hosted a dinner in Macron's honor at a restaurant in Old Damascus. Zeydan stated that the visit is "tangible proof" of the security and stability Syria has enjoyed since December 8, 2024, and constitutes a "practical answer" to those trying to destabilize the country.
Macron became the first French president to visit Syria in nearly 18 years. Upon his arrival in Damascus, he was greeted by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan al-Shaybani.
The visit is seen as part of the accelerating diplomatic rapprochement between Paris and Damascus. Ahmed Sharaa had also visited Paris in May 2025, which was his first visit to a Western country since taking office.
The previous presidential-level visit from France to Syria took place when then French President Nicolas Sarkozy came to Damascus in September 2008. Sarkozy's visit was part of Paris's efforts to overcome the diplomatic isolation imposed on Damascus after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Ridvan Sezer | Editor-in-Chief