'France Stands by Syria's Side': Macron 'Most Enthusiastic in Europe' to Repair Ties
The leaders signed more than a dozen agreements, including plans to restore ambassadors and return over $50 million in confiscated assets.
- On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Damascus, signing more than a dozen agreements to reappoint ambassadors after roughly 14 years of severed ties.
- Two years ago, Sharaa faced a $10 million U.S. bounty for ties to al-Qaeda before ousting longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and implementing democratic reforms that convinced the European Union to lift all economic sanctions.
- Accompanying business leaders including CEOs from TotalEnergies and CMA CGM, France pledged to return $58.3 million in confiscated assets belonging to Assad's family while the shipping group secured a partnership for air cargo freight handling at Damascus airport.
- The historic visit was marred by explosions in the capital that injured at least 18 people, marking the second such attack this month; Macron posted that his mission would continue despite the violence.
- Following the blasts, Macron emphasized that "nothing can undermine the desire of Syrians to live in a fully sovereign and secure Syria," while confirming France's commitment to restructuring the Syrian banking sector.
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The first European Head of State to visit the Syrian capital since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in December 2024, the French President met on Monday with his counterpart Ahmed Al-Charaa. Paris wants to preserve an influence in this central country for the political and economic stabilization of the Middle East.
Emmanuel Macron was the first Western head of state to visit Syria – including a large economic delegation. TotalEnergies, the head of the energy company, already describes the former civil war country as a possible alternative to the road of Hormus.
This Tuesday morning, two explosions sounded just a few blocks from the Four Seasons, the palace of the western district of Damascus where Emmanuel Macron spent the night, before taking... Read more Emmanuel Macron in Syria: the great reconciliation with the ex-jihadist Al Charaa appeared first on Current Values.
The surprise visit of the French President to Syria, before his visit to Turkey for the NATO summit, must be read as support for the new regime, and also a willingness to be part of the ongoing recomposition in the Middle East.
berlingske.dk
Syria's president praises Emmanuel Macron for continuing his visit to the country despite bombings.
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