Macron to be first Western European leader in Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make a landmark visit to Syria, becoming the first Western European head of state to travel to Damascus since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. The Syrian presidency announced the upcoming diplomatic trip, which will include meetings with Syria's current president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, though an exact date for the visit was not provided.

The high-profile journey marks a dramatic shift in Western policy toward Syria's new leadership after years of diplomatic isolation. Macron will be accompanied by a delegation of French business leaders and investors, signaling a focus on economic cooperation and reconstruction in a country devastated by more than 13 years of civil war. The conflict killed over half a million people, displaced millions, and left infrastructure in ruins, requiring hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild.

The visit follows Macron's controversial decision to host President al-Sharaa in Paris in May 2025. Analysts describe France as one of the strongest Western backers of Syria's diplomatic rehabilitation following the easing of sanctions imposed during Assad's rule. Syria specialist Arthur...