Syria, France agree to exchange ambassadors after 14-year hiatus

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced on Tuesday that Damascus and Paris had agreed to exchange ambassadors after a 14-year diplomatic hiatus, hailing French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit as "a historic milestone" during a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace. "This is the first visit by a French president in 18 years," Sharaa said, noting that the decision crowned a period of "quiet and deep joint work" between the two countries.

France shuttered its Damascus embassy in March 2012 under then-President Nicolas Sarkozy in response to the Assad regime’s violent suppression of pro-democracy protests, joining several Western nations that severed or downgraded ties as the conflict escalated. Macron arrived in the Syrian capital on Monday evening as the first Western leader to visit since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024, with the renewed contacts underscoring Paris’s efforts to expand its political and economic role in the post-conflict era.

Security and reconstruction aid

The French president confirmed that Paris would strengthen Syria’s security capabilities through training and joint counterterrorism operations while providing technical assistance to restore financial institutions and support reconstruction financing. Macron also announced that France and Syria had signed a declaration of intent to return more than €50 million in assets seized from Rifaat al-Assad, the late uncle of the former dictator, stating the funds would be returned to the Syrian people to finance concrete development projects across the country.

Sovereignty and regional stability

Macron condemned Israeli military incursions into southern Syria as unacceptable violations of sovereignty, stating that such interference undermined efforts to restore Syria’s territorial integrity and applied to "everyone, above all your neighbours." "It is in its interest to engage in dialogue and build a path toward partnership-based security, where each side ensures security within its own territory," he said, adding that France supported Syria’s efforts to establish clear relations with Lebanon and restore Beirut’s authority over its entire territory.