Macron set for first French presidential visit to Syria since 2009

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Syria, the first trip by a French leader to the country since Nicolas Sarkozy's visit in 2009, Report informs, citing the Syrian Presidential Administration.

Macron will also become the first Western leader to visit Syria since Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in late 2024.

The exact date of the visit has not yet been disclosed.

In late November 2024, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against Syrian army positions. On December 8, they entered Damascus, after which government forces left the city. Bashar Assad resigned as president of Syria and left the country.

Opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa became Syria's de facto leader. On January 29, 2025, he declared himself acting president for a transitional period, which he said would last four to five years.