Syrian state media SANA confirmed reports over the last several days that French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Syria for talks in the coming weeks.
The visit is being watched closely around the region.
Macron visited Lebanon in January 2025, and in December 2024, the French president visited Saudi Arabia, where he attempted to increase France’s role in the region. There have been setbacks, however, such as Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Syria was governed as a French Mandate territory after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. The era of French rule lasted from 1923 to 1946. France therefore has cultural and historic ties to Syria.
The current visit is expected to strengthen “bilateral relations and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Syrian Presidency’s Media Directorate said on Sunday, Syria’s SANA state media said.
Macron will be accompanied by a delegation to expand economic cooperation and political engagement
In a statement to SANA, the directorate said: “Macron will be accompanied by a delegation of investors and representatives of French companies, reflecting efforts to expand economic cooperation alongside political engagement.”
This is important. It showcases how Syria is increasingly important in the region.
Syria has done a lot of outreach already to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Lebanon. It has also done outreach to the US and Russia. Damascus is keen on foreign ties and improving relations.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Macron are “scheduled to hold a roundtable meeting with their respective delegations, according to the statement,” SANA noted. “The talks will focus on regional and international developments, as well as opportunities to deepen cooperation across a range of sectors, as part of ongoing political dialogue between the two countries.”
It should be recalled that Sharaa visited France last year. Sharaa has also met the US President several times and has a positive relationship with the White House.
During the discussions last year between Sharaa and Macron, “both sides reaffirmed the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts, and broadening cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” SANA noted.
The much-anticipated visit comes after Syria’s foreign minister was in Lebanon. Syria has pushed back on US calls to intervene in Lebanon, preferring diplomacy. Syria is also doing a lot of outreach to Qatar and other countries.
“Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Doha on Saturday to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and review the latest regional developments,” Syrian state media said on July 4.
This came as Syria also sent greetings to the US and President Trump on July 4, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of US independence. Syria says it is committed to advancing ties with the US.
The West looks to broaden ties with Syria
Macron’s visit will be one of the first major post-Assad visits by a head of state.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky have both visited Syria over the past year. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was the first head of state to visit Syria after the fall of the Assad regime.
Western countries such as France and the UK have done a lot of outreach to Syria over the last year and a half since the Assad regime fell in December 2024. This is in contrast to Israel, which had carried out a bombing campaign in Syria after Assad fell.
Israeli ministers have threatened to target Sharaa and call the regime “jihadist.” Some Israeli ministers and officials view Syria’s new government as an enemy state, and rhetoric against Syria is more aggressive in Jerusalem over the last year than during the Assad regime.
This has raised eyebrows abroad because Washington and others want Syria to thrive. The Assad regime was an ally of Russia and Iran and enabled Hezbollah arms smuggling. Israel has rejected the US encouragement of Syria to intervene in Lebanon, for instance.
Some Israeli commentators fear the emergence of a “Sunni” alliance of Syria, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It remains to be seen if these concerns in Jerusalem will manifest themselves.
For now, what is important is that Syria is trying to grow its influence in the region and rebuild after years of war, which is a test for Damascus.
In addition, it should be noted that there is a NATO summit in Turkey on July 7, and also Syria is expected to have a new parliament functioning after it was appointed last week. Many will be watching US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit and also look at what the other 32 member countries are saying.