French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in a phone call that covered the transition in Syria, economic sanctions and the need to continue the fight against terrorism. He also extended an invitation for al-Sharaa to visit France in the coming weeks.
In the first call to Sharaa from a western leader, Macron on Wednesday congratulated the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group, which lead the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad, for his appointment at the end of last month as interim president of the transition period in Syria.
Macron spoke of France’s commitment to a transition process that meets "the aspirations of the Syrian people," as well as the "full integration" of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the process, according to the Elysée, in a statement.
The Kurdish-lead SDF has worked with European and US forces to fight against the Islamic State armed group.
Macron spoke with Sharaa of the need to continue "the fight against terrorism", which he said is "for the benefit of the Syrian people as well as for the security of the French nation".
The power vacuum caused by the fall of Assad has raised fears of a resurgence of the Islamic State. France is concerned about several dozen radicalised French nationals who are in Syria, held in Syrian prisons overseen by Kurdish forces.
France welcomes fall of Syria's Assad, calls for peaceful transition
Sanctions
For Syria, the heart of the discussions involved economic sanctions imposed by the European Union and other western countries.
Macron spoke to Al-Sharaa about "the efforts of his country to lift the sanctions on Syria and open the path towards growth and recovery," according to the Syrian presidency.
The European Union has already agreed to begin easing some sanctions on Syria.
On a visit to Damascus in early January, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock indicated that some sanctions "could be lifted quickly".
The Syrian president’s office also said that Macron invited Sharaa to visit France in the coming weeks.
An international conference on Syria is to be held in Paris on 13 February.
(with AFP, Reuters)
