Syria on Sunday said it was expecting a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, the first by a Western European head of state since the 2024 toppling of longtime ruler Bashar Assad.
State news agency SANA, citing the Syrian presidency’s media office, said “Macron is expected to visit Syria to discuss ways of strengthening bilateral relations and issues of common interest,” without specifying a date for the visit.
It said he would be accompanied by a delegation “including investors and representatives of French companies” as part of efforts to strengthen economic cooperation. Discussions would also address “regional and international” developments, it added.
Early last year, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first foreign head of state to visit Damascus after the new authorities led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen visited in January this year, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky followed in April.
But Macron is the first head of an EU state and prominent Western leader to head to the Syrian capital, after hosting al-Sharaa in Paris last year. (AFP)
