Politics Macron invites Syrian president to France
French President Emmanuel Macron was probably the first European head of state or government to speak to Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the phone and invite him to France. Macron has invited al-Sharaa to visit France in the coming weeks, the Syrian presidency announced.
06.02.2025, 00:43
SDA
There was initially no confirmation of the invitation from Paris. According to reports from the Élysée Palace, Macron took the initiative for the phone call with a view to the international Syria conference being organized in Paris next Thursday.
Macron expressed his wish that the process initiated by the interim authorities would fully meet the aspirations of the Syrian people. Macron also emphasized France's loyalty to the democratic forces in Syria and called for their full integration into the Syrian transition process, according to reports in Paris.
According to Syrian sources, Macron congratulated al-Sharaa in the telephone call on assuming the presidency and on the "liberation of the country". France is endeavoring to lift the sanctions against Syria in order to promote economic recovery and growth. For his part, Al-Sharaa thanked Macron for France's support for the Syrian people in recent years.
Al-Sharaa was appointed interim president of Syria a few days ago. The Islamist militia HTS led by him toppled the previous government of ruler Bashar al-Assad following a lightning offensive in December. Since then, al-Sharaa has traveled to Saudi Arabia and Turkey and received high-ranking delegations from the EU, among others. No direct contact with a European head of state or government has been reported since his appointment as president.
Shortly beforehand, the Syrian Land and Sea Ports Authority announced that the French shipping giant CMA CGM is to operate the important Latakia container terminal on the Mediterranean under a new contract. The agreement includes "new conditions and mechanisms" as well as a settlement of debts owed by both sides from the past decade. Syria's most important port is located in Latakia. Iran had also sought control of the terminal, which CMA CGM has been operating for years.
France was the mandated power in Syria and neighboring Lebanon after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Since then, there have been repeated rapprochements, but also tensions in relations between Paris and Damascus. After the start of the civil war in 2011, France declared the overthrow of Assad a priority and also provided logistical and military support to rebels in the country.
France is rapidly forging ahead with rapprochement with the new rulers in Syria. Last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Damascus on behalf of the EU, together with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. According to the Élysée Palace, Macron expressed France's great willingness to support the transition in Syria both at national level and within the European and international framework during the telephone call.
