Syria interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace, in his first official visit to Europe since taking office following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.

Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron has held a meeting with Syria's interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the Élysée Palace. This marks al-Sharaa’s first official visit to Europe since assuming leadership following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The visit is considered a significant step in the Syrian interim government’s efforts to gain international recognition.

Al-Sharaa, who remains under a United Nations travel ban, has been working to reposition himself from his previous role as an Islamist rebel to being seen as the legitimate head of state. During a joint press conference, President Macron announced his support for a gradual easing of sanctions on Syria. He emphasized that this support is conditional upon the interim government’s continued progress on justice and reforms.

Macron also addressed the need for the Syrian government to protect all citizens, referencing the deaths of 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in western Syria and recent clashes with Druze communities. These incidents have drawn significant international attention. Al-Sharaa responded by stating that investigations into these attacks have been initiated by his administration.

The meeting has generated criticism within France, particularly from right-wing and far-right political parties. Detractors argued that Macron was legitimizing a former jihadist by extending the invitation. Macron defended his decision, asserting that diplomatic engagement sometimes requires dialogue with parties that do not share France’s values.



Macron supports easing sanctions on Syria after meeting al-Sharaa

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday evening. This meeting marks al-Sharaa's first visit to Europe since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime back in December of last year. However this meeting was a somewhat risky diplomatic move. Al-Sharaa is still under a UN travel ban but he's been trying to rebrand himself on the international stage from Islamist rebel to legitimate head of state. During the joint press conference on Wednesday Macron announced that he will back a gradual lifting of sanctions as long as the Syrian interim government continues to deliver on justice and reforms. The French leader also stated that Syria must protect all Syrians regardless of their faith. He was referring to the 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians killed in Western Syria as well as recent clashes with the Druze communities that sparked international outrage. Al-Sharaa insisted that his government has launched investigations into these attacks. Still Macron's invitation had sparked a fierce backlash at home. Multiple French parties especially from the far right and right said that the president was legitimizing a former jihadist. However Macron pushed back saying that diplomacy requires dialogue even with those that we don't fully agree with.

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