Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday. This was Sharaa’s first visit to Europe since he and his team took power after overthrowing long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December.
The meeting took place at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Before the talks, President Sharaa and his foreign minister also met Farid al-Madhan, better known as Caesar — the whistleblower who exposed torture and killings during Assad’s rule by smuggling out over 55,000 disturbing images from Syria in 2013.
Sharaa and his top officials, many of whom were once linked to the jihadist group Al-Qaeda, are now under pressure from Europe to respect human rights and bring peace to Syria. Western nations are also watching to see if the new Syrian leadership is serious about fighting extremism.
In Paris, the two leaders discussed rebuilding Syria and possible economic partnerships. The French government said this meeting was part of its continued support for the Syrian people who want democracy and peace.
French officials admitted they are aware of the new Syrian leadership’s past links to jihadist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a major role in the fall of Assad. However, they say the goal of the meeting was to encourage Sharaa to support justice, human rights, and stability.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told local media:
“We invited Sharaa to make sure he moves forward in the fight against injustice and extremism.”
UN travel ban exemption
Sharaa is still on a United Nations travel ban list, but France likely requested a special exemption to allow his visit, just like Turkey and Saudi Arabia did earlier this year.
France, which once ruled Syria during colonial times, is also trying to play a larger role in Syria now that Russia’s influence there is declining. French businesses like CMA CGM have recently signed major contracts in Syria, including a 30-year deal to manage the port of Latakia.
However, some French politicians and rights groups are unhappy with Sharaa’s visit.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called the meeting “irresponsible” and said Macron was talking to “a jihadist.”
Laurent Wauquiez, a senior conservative lawmaker, said:
“We should not host former terrorists in France.”
French NGO Mehad, which works in Syria, warned that the humanitarian situation is getting worse. They urged Macron to speed up aid for the Syrian people.
Violence still a concern
While Syria’s new leaders promise to include all communities in the country, deadly sectarian clashes in March killed over 1,700 people, mostly from Assad’s Alawite minority. Recent clashes with the Druze community and reports of abuse have raised questions about whether Sharaa’s government can truly control extremist fighters.
Meanwhile, Israel continues airstrikes inside Syria, including one near the presidential palace in Damascus last Friday.
Despite the controversy, France says it wants to prevent Syria from collapsing into chaos again.
As Minister Barrot put it:
“If Syria breaks apart, it will open the door again for groups like Daesh (ISIS).”
