French President Macron visits Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Damascus, the capital of Syria, as part of an official visit. Macron and his accompanying delegation were welcomed at Damascus International Airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani. Macron became the first leader of a European Union (EU) country to visit Syria following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, and also the first French President to visit Syria since 2009.

In a statement regarding his visit to Syria on his social media account, Macron said, "I have come here to express France's support for the Syrian people. We are here for a sovereign Syria that preserves its unity within its diversity and lives in peace with its neighbors. Let us turn a new page together for the sake of stability and peace."

Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara and Macron will hold a comprehensive roundtable meeting with the participation of delegations from both countries. The discussions are expected to address recent developments in regional and international issues, particularly the reconstruction of Syria, as well as opportunities for bilateral cooperation in various fields in detail.

Macron is accompanied during his visit by prominent figures from the business world, including the CEOs of TotalEnergies and the French container shipping group CMA CGM.