French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday evening and met with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani). Macron is the first Western head of state to visit Syria under its new leadership, following the fall of the Assad regime.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani) in Damascus on Monday evening, in what The Zioneer first reported as an ongoing meeting at 20:49 Jerusalem. The meeting, which followed Macron's arrival at 19:46 and his reception by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at 19:47, marks the first visit by a Western head of state to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.
The Zioneer's initial report at 19:46 Jerusalem, citing Israeli media, confirmed Macron's landing. Within minutes, at 19:47, the desk confirmed that the Syrian foreign minister had greeted him, and by 20:49, that Macron had arrived at the Presidential Palace for the meeting with al-Sharaa. The visit was corroborated by multiple Israeli news outlets and later by Syrian state media.
The meeting comes amid a broader recalibration of Western engagement with Syria. As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, US President Donald Trump is expected to meet al-Sharaa in Turkey this week. Al-Sharaa has also hosted Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris (June 25) and invited Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Damascus (July 2). The Zioneer also reported that Macron and Trump had expressed hope for good relations with Syria's new leadership (June 15).
No official readout of the Macron-al-Sharaa meeting has been released as of 21:28 Jerusalem. It remains unclear what specific issues were discussed or whether any agreements were reached.
6 developments
- DevelopingSyrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris in Damascus
- StrongTrump to meet Syrian President al-Sharaa in Turkey this week
- DevelopingSyrian President al-Sharaa invites Lebanese President Aoun to Damascus
- DevelopingTrump expected to meet Erdogan, Zelensky, and Syria's al-Jolani at NATO summit in Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake