French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that his visit to Syria will continue despite two explosions that occurred near his residence in Damascus on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Macron said, “Nothing can extinguish the aspirations of Syrians to live in a fully sovereign, secure, pluralistic, and unified Syria.”
He added that he met with Syrians representing various segments of society, praising what he described as the “dignity, courage, and determination” he witnessed in them, and confirming that his visit to Syria “continues.”
Two explosions rocked Damascus earlier in the day near a hotel where Macron spent the night after arriving in the Syrian capital.
The explosions occurred shortly before Syrian state television announced Macron’s arrival at the presidential palace for official talks with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, making him the first Western head of state to visit Damascus since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad. The French presidency confirmed that President Macron is safe and continuing his visit to Syria following the explosions.
The visit comes amid mutual efforts to rebuild relations between Syria and Western countries after the political changes that swept the country following the overthrow of Assad. It is the third visit by a foreign leader to Syria, after those of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (AFP/EIR)
