French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Syria on Monday, becoming the first major Western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited in April, but Macron is the first leader from Western Europe or North America to make the trip.
The visit occurs during a period of relative calm in the Middle East, following a monthlong conflict in Iran and Lebanon. Macron is scheduled to travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected to attend the summit and hold a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported that Macron arrived with a business delegation to discuss regional security, as well as business and investment opportunities. He was greeted at Damascus airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.
"I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors," Macron stated in a post on X. "Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace."
Macron's office indicated that France supports efforts to "build a new Syria" aligned with aspirations expressed since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Macron is slated to meet with al-Sharaa at the presidential palace and engage with various Syrian communities.
Details of Macron's visit were not disclosed for security reasons. In May 2025, Macron hosted al-Sharaa in Paris, urging European and U.S. leaders to lift sanctions on Damascus, many of which have since been rescinded. Paris backed Syria's new leadership, even amid skepticism regarding al-Sharaa's rule and his former affiliation with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militant group.
Western governments had previously expressed concerns about the treatment of women and minorities in Syria and the potential for a transition to more democratic governance. While Syria has avoided recent regional conflicts, it continues to grapple with the aftermath of 13 years of war, which left substantial damage, widespread poverty, and an estimated reconstruction cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Although Syria has entered into memorandums of understanding for investment projects, these have not yet materialized.