Macron Invites Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Visit France

Latest Developments

• Al-Sharaa Expected to Travel to France in Coming Weeks: French President Emmanuel Macron on February 5 invited Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to visit France, becoming the first EU head of state to speak to the former al-Qaeda commander. According to the Syrian president’s office, al-Sharaa is expected to accept and travel to Paris in the coming weeks. Macron extended the invitation during a phone call, where the two leaders discussed the future of Syria and the potential easing of European economic sanctions, which were first imposed in 2011.
• Al-Sharaa’s Meetings With Foreign Leaders: The invitation came a week after al-Sharaa, the former commander of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group that overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, assumed the office of transitional president, having served as the country’s de facto leader since Assad’s ouster on December 8. On February 4, al-Sharaa traveled to Ankara for meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — whose government backed HTS — where the two discussed how to approach the Kurdish separatists in northeast Syria, including the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which continue to battle Turkish-backed forces. In January, al-Sharaa met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Damascus.
• France Backs SDF: During his phone conversation, Macron called for the full integration of the SDF into Syria’s transition process. In early January, Macron said that France would not abandon the SDF, which rejected an offer from al-Sharaa on January 26 that proposed recognition of Kurdish cultural rights and the integration of Kurds into the security apparatus. Macron plans to host a conference in Paris regarding Syria on February 13.

FDD Expert Response

“France once welcomed a young Bashar al-Assad to visit Paris. But displays of goodwill did not change who Assad was. Instead, they legitimized him while securing nothing in return. Macron should be careful not to repeat that mistake. He should send a clear message to al-Sharaa that the West will hold the Syrian president accountable if he denies the Syrian people the right to choose their leaders and allows Syria to become a haven for foreign jihadists.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“Syria’s new president, al-Sharaa, is steadily gaining international legitimacy, from Gulf states to European ones. However, the world seems to have forgotten his past leadership in an organization that terrorized European cities. While he now presents himself as a moderate, it is crucial to question Syria’s future under his rule. Once his regime secures the legitimacy it seeks, will it revert to its old methods, and how will the nations that welcomed him respond if that happens?” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Erdogan and Syria’s New President Al-Sharaa Meet in Ankara to Discuss Defense Pact,” FDD Flash Brief

“From Al-Qaeda Commander to Syrian President: Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s Ascent,” by Ahmad Sharawi

“Ahmad al Sharaa’s Victory Conference: Syria’s new era and an exclusive translation of Sharaa’s speech,” by Ahmad Sharawi