Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Visits Paris in Bid for International Backing

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to visit Paris on Wednesday, marking his first trip to Europe since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in December. The visit highlights his efforts to secure international support as he seeks to stabilize Syria following over a decade of civil war and unrest.

Sharaa, who succeeded Assad after a dramatic power shift, will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. France has cautiously welcomed the political transition in Syria and is increasingly engaging with Sharaa’s government despite his controversial past. Notably, Sharaa received a United Nations exemption to travel to Paris, despite being on a terrorism sanctions list for his past leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a militant group formerly affiliated with al Qaeda.

A senior French official stated that Paris sees Sharaa’s visit as an opportunity to stress the need for Syria to confront impunity, reduce sectarian violence, and intensify the fight against remaining Islamic State (IS) militants. “If Syria were to collapse today, it would be like rolling out a red carpet for Islamic State,” said French Interior Minister Gérald Barrot.

However, the visit is not without controversy. The Franco-Alawite Collective is organizing a protest in central Paris on Wednesday afternoon, voicing opposition to Sharaa’s presence in France. The group also filed a legal complaint last month accusing Sharaa and several ministers of genocide and crimes against humanity for the mass killings of Alawites in Syria’s coastal region in March.

Despite these tensions, diplomatic ties between France and Syria have been warming. France appointed a chargé d’affaires in Damascus last month, reestablishing a diplomatic presence for the first time since cutting ties with Assad’s regime in 2012. Macron has also engaged in trilateral talks with Sharaa and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in an effort to reduce cross-border tensions.

France, which has traditionally supported secular opposition groups and Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, is now playing a mediating role as the United States scales back its military footprint in the region. French officials are in ongoing discussions with Washington on how Paris can assume a greater role in Syria’s future.

Sharaa’s visit underscores the complex international calculations surrounding Syria’s post-Assad transition, as global powers seek to balance justice, stability, and security.

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