French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa in Paris Wednesday, marking his first visit to a Western country.Macron welcomed Al Sharaa with an official reception at the Elysee Palace, followed by a two-hour meeting, which was concluded with a joint press conference at the French presidential palace.During the press conference, both leaders stressed the need to protect all Syrians without exception.Al Sharaa urged Western nations to lift sanctions imposed on Damascus during the tenure of former Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, stating that these sanctions were imposed on the previous regime due to the crimes it committed. That regime is now gone, and with its fall, these sanctions should also be removed. There is no justification for keeping them in place.Macron expressed support for the gradual lifting of EU economic sanctions, provided that Syrian authorities could achieve stability in the country.The French President affirmed his commitment to pushing for the European Union to lift its sanctions on Syria, while also calling on Washington to accelerate its process of lifting sanctions.He further emphasized that U.S. forces deployed in Syria to combat ISIS should delay their withdrawal in the interest of stability.Macron condemned Israeli airstrikes and ground incursions in recent months, arguing that such actions would not guarantee Israel's long-term security.Al Sharaa revealed that Damascus is engaged in indirect negotiations with Israel through mediators, regarding the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes launched in recent months.He stated that regarding indirect negotiations with Israel, discussions are taking place through intermediaries to de-escalate tensions and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control for both sides.
