French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria on Monday, becoming the first major Western leader to visit the country since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The visit marks a significant diplomatic milestone as Syria seeks to rebuild ties with Western nations under the leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa following more than a decade of conflict.
Macron was received at Damascus International Airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before beginning a series of meetings focused on regional security, political transition and economic cooperation.
According to Syria's state-run SANA news agency, the French president is accompanied by a business delegation to explore investment and reconstruction opportunities.
In a message posted on social media, Macron reaffirmed France's support for the Syrian people, saying he was committed to a sovereign, united and peaceful Syria.
During the visit, Macron is scheduled to meet President al-Sharaa at the presidential palace and hold discussions with representatives of Syrian civil society. The two leaders are also expected to oversee the signing of several memorandums of understanding before addressing a joint news conference.
The French presidency said Macron's visit reflects France's support for efforts to build a stable and inclusive Syria in line with the aspirations expressed during the 2011 Arab Spring.
Macron previously hosted al-Sharaa in Paris in May 2025, where he called on European and US partners to ease long-standing sanctions on Syria. Most of those sanctions have since been lifted.
France has been among the Western countries backing Syria's new leadership despite initial concerns in some capitals over al-Sharaa's Islamist background and his previous role leading Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group once linked to al-Qaida.
Western governments have continued to monitor the new administration's commitment to democratic reforms and the protection of women and minority rights.
Macron's visit comes during a relatively calm period in the Middle East following the recent conflict involving Iran and Lebanon. He is expected to travel next to Ankara for the NATO summit, where al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold talks with US President Donald Trump.
Although Syria has avoided becoming directly involved in the region's latest conflicts, the country continues to face enormous reconstruction challenges after 13 years of civil war that devastated infrastructure, displaced millions of people and left its economy in severe distress.