French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country's commitment to supporting a sovereign and unified Syria, after arriving in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday evening in the first visit by a major Western head of state since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power in late 2024, following the ouster of the deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

Macron said in remarks: "I came to affirm France's commitment to standing alongside the Syrian people for a sovereign, unified Syria with its diversity, enjoying peace with its neighbors, so let us open together a new chapter of stability and peace."

The Élysée Palace told reporters that Macron, during his visit which will continue until Tuesday, is going to "a free and pluralistic Syria that respects all its components and plays a role in calming tensions in the Middle East."

The Élysée Palace was keen to keep the timing of the visit secret before his plane landed, and according to Western media, this is likely due to security reasons.

Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was at the reception of President Macron and his accompanying delegation upon their arrival at Damascus International Airport.

The visit embodies the transition of Syrian-French relations to a new phase based on mutual respect and equal partnership, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

With the closing of the chapter of the former regime and the beginning of a new era in Damascus, the wheel of openness between Damascus and Paris accelerated, reaching its peak with the announcement of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Syria, which some French media described as historic, and which could form a turning point to open the door for a new strategic partnership ending a long era of isolation and estrangement.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had visited France on May 7 last year, at the invitation of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who then affirmed his country's support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, expressing his intention to work to lift all European sanctions.

Meanwhile, President al-Sharaa stressed during his visit to Paris Syria's keenness to strengthen the bonds of friendship in a way that serves the common interests of the two peoples.

It is noteworthy that the last visit by a French president to Syria was in 2009, when former President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Damascus, before a rift between the two countries following the former regime's bloody crackdown on protests that erupted in 2011, which quickly turned into a devastating conflict that killed more than half a million people.