Unwavering Support
Foreign Policy, July 7, 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron (right) shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, on July 6.Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was hoping to demonstrate Syria’s shift toward democracy during his first Damascus-hosted summit with a major Western leader on Tuesday. Instead, French President Emmanuel Macron’s historic visit was marred by violence as explosions in the capital—the second such attack this month—injured at least 18 people. No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.
Just two years ago, Sharaa had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head for his ties to al Qaeda. However, since ousting longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Sharaa has implemented democratic reforms in an effort to rebrand his (and his country’s) global image. In a little more than a year, Syria has joined the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, convinced the European Union to lift all economic sanctions on Syria, signed investment deals worth tens of billions of dollars to rebuild the war-torn country, and allowed millions of Syrian refugees to return home.
Yet bouts of violence by religious and ethnic minorities have plagued Sharaa’s efforts. Many groups remain skeptical of his agenda. Across the country—particularly in regions with large Alawite, Druze, and Kurdish communities—hundreds of people have been killed in clashes between government forces and minority rebels. And on Thursday, a bombing at a crowded café in Damascus killed at least 10 people and injured more than 20 others.
However, Macron’s faith in Syria’s future appears to be unwavering. “Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria,” Macron wrote on X on Tuesday just hours after the explosions. “This morning, I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination.”
Macron signaled his support for Sharaa’s government by carrying out his scheduled meetings even after the explosions had occurred. During these talks, the two leaders signed more than a dozen agreements, including a pact to reappoint their ambassadors for the first time in roughly 14 years.
“France is ready to be a partner,” Macron said, adding that Paris will return more than $50 million in confiscated assets that once belonged to Assad’s family.
Tuesday’s deals also included new efforts to bolster cooperation in healthcare, transportation, and banking. French investment dominated discussions, with the CEOs of TotalEnergies and French container shipping group CMA CGM accompanying Macron in Damascus. Regional security issues were also addressed, as Macron warned Sharaa against deploying Syrian forces to Lebanon—a strategy that U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested could be useful to fight Hezbollah—and Sharaa pushed for greater Syrian influence in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Syria, which shaped its recovery and reconstruction priorities by the hands of its own people, opens its doors today to an equal partnership,” Sharaa said on Tuesday in a joint press conference with Macron. “A partnership that repositions Syria as a secure and vital connecting node and an indispensable civilizational and economic bridge between East and West.”
