Macron Becomes First EU Leader to Visit Syria Since Assad’s Fall

The French president landed in Damascus on Monday evening.

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Syria for talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in the first visit by a leader from western Europe since Syria’s former dictator, longtime President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted from power in 2024.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been rebooting Syria’s international credentials and seeking to revive his struggling country after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, citing al-Sharaa’s office, did not give details on when Macron will visit.