Syria says it is expecting a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, the first by a Western European head of state since Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa took power in 2024.
State news agency SANA, citing the Syrian presidency’s media office, says “Macron is expected to visit Syria to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral relations and issues of common interest,” without specifying a date for the trip.
The French presidency does not immediately comment.
The last French president to visit was Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, before longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad brutally crushed pro-democracy protests in 2011, sparking a conflict that killed more than half a million people and devastated Syria.
SANA says Macron will be accompanied by a delegation “including investors and representatives of French companies,” and discussions will also address “regional and international” developments.
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