The Elysée Palace announced on Tuesday that President Emmanuel Macron will receive Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday, marking the Syrian interim president’s first visit to Europe.
The French presidency said Macron would “reaffirm France’s support for the construction of a new Syria — a free, stable and sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society.”
“This meeting is in line with France’s historic commitment to the Syrian people, who aspire to peace and democracy,” the statement said.
Macron is expected to reiterate “his demands on the Syrian government, chief among them regional stability, especially in Lebanon, and the fight against terrorism.”
The French head of state invited Ahmed al-Sharaa to visit France back in early February.
Al-Sharaa is likely to put pressure on Macron to lift international sanctions against Syria. In February, the EU suspended some energy, transport and banking sanctions, but many countries are wary of lifting these measures too quickly without seeing tangible progress in democratic reforms and the protection of women’s and minority rights.
