Macron will visit Syria as the first Western leader since Assad’s ouster, Damascus says

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Syria soon, becoming the first Western leader to do so since former President Bashar Assad's 2024 ouster. The visit follows Macron's May 2025 meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Paris, during which he pledged to advocate for lifting sanctions on Syria, most of which have already been removed. Macron will attend a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and be accompanied by French investors.