Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to arrive in France, on his first official trip to Europe. Hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, the visit shows how quickly relations with Damascus have normalised.
Macron sees the trip as chance to
reiterate France’s support for the building of a new Syria, a free Syria, stable, sovereign and respectful of all the communities of the Syrian society,
Late last year, the European Union cautiously welcomed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) into office and, at present, France continues to have high hopes for it. HTS—which grew out of the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda offshoot—was designated a terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council in 2018.
Is the new regime in the Syrian Arab Republic falling short of Brussels’ public expectations? On its watch, numerous episodes of communal violence and religious persecution have taken place with impunity and EU silence. The murder of French teacher Samuel Paty was also linked to HTS, court documents have shown.
Al-Sharaa is likely to pressure Macron into helping to get international sanctions on Syria lifted, which date back to the previous Russian-backed regime of strongman Bashar Assad.
