Macron expresses France's support for Syria as he visits Damascus

(7 Jul 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AGENCY POOL Damascus, Syria - 07 July 2026 1. French President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arriving for news conference 2. SOUNDBITE (French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: ”On peace and security in the Middle East, Mr. President, we had an excellent discussion yesterday and today, and I thank you for it. I would like to thank you for the organisation and sense of responsibility you have shown in a difficult context. I support your objective of ensuring respect for your country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity above all. And this principle applies to everyone, starting with your neighbors, whose incursions, interference, and strikes are unacceptable. I also support your desire to establish a new relationship with Lebanon, on an equal footing. The restoration of the Lebanese state’s authority over its entire territory is a goal we share. Hezbollah must lay down its arms, Israel must withdraw from Lebanon, and Syria and Lebanon should move closer together and work jointly to combat all forms of terrorism. Together, they should also strengthen their ties with Europe, of which you are the region’s natural partners.” 3. News conference 4. SOUNDBITE (French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: ”We condemn these incursions just as we condemn any violation of sovereignty. We have done so from the very beginning, with great clarity, and we believe that, including for its own security, Israel has no interest in violating the sovereignty of its neighbors. Its interest lies in engaging in dialogue and building a cooperative security framework in which each country ensures security within its own borders. That is also what we advocated for Lebanon and worked to implement in 2024–2025.I believe that whenever a country violates the sovereignty of its neighbor, it may make people think they are being protected in the short term, but in reality it is laying the groundwork for long-term insecurity. Therefore, we condemn every form of incursion.” 5. News conference 6. SOUNDBITE (French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: “As I was saying, we have been affected by the terrorism that was fostered in your country, and we too are shaken whenever terrorism resurfaces, as we see happening across the region for many months now. In that regard, the Syrian path, because of its unique nature, is a path of hope. It is also a path toward sovereignty that enables the country to resist foreign interference. That is something we need.We therefore have a direct security interest. We do not want foreign fighters present here, and we do not want terrorist groups that are still present here or elsewhere in the region to be able to threaten us. That is why the security partnership is very important to us.” 7. News conference 8. SOUNDBITE (French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++ 9. News conference 10. SOUNDBITE(French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: “Indeed, we have taken the decision, beyond the choices we had already made in recent months, to appoint our ambassadors on both sides, to consolidate all of this, to be actors in this new era, and to act together while defending each of our interests, but with determination and a shared desire to build a new partnership between our two countries — one that is also strengthened by their history — as well as a new partnership between the region and Europe.” 11. News conference 12. SOUNDBITE (French) Emmanuel Macron, French President: ++ANSWERING QUESTION ON ,ARINE LE PEN COURT CASE++ 13. End of news conference 14. Leaders shaking hands STORYLINE: Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...