Syria's Al Shara to meet Macron in France on first western trip

Visit comes amid sectarian violence in Syria and foreign calls for inclusivity

Syrian leader Ahmad Al Shara, right, will meet French President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters

Syrian leader Ahmad Al Shara will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday in his first trip to a western country, as he struggles to keep a lid on sectarian violence while meeting foreign demands for an inclusive society.

“The fact that we are the first western country to receive Ahmad Al Shara shows the President's continued support to the Syrian people,” an adviser to Mr Macron said before the visit.

Mr Al Shara, a rebel leader during the Syrian civil war, is under UN sanctions, so France had to apply for an exemption to host him. “He can go to Paris under the temporary exemption that was requested,” French officials said.

Mr Macron plans to reaffirm France's support for the construction of a “free, stable and sovereign Syria that respects all the components of the Syrian society,” his office said. “This meeting is part of France's historic commitment to the Syrian people who aspire to peace and democracy.”

The French presidency said Mr Macron would emphasise “his demands on the Syrian government, primarily the stabilisation of the region, including Lebanon, and the fight against terrorism”.

The two leaders will give a joint press conference after their meeting on Tuesday evening.

Mr Al Shara received an invitation in February from Mr Macron to visit France in the “coming weeks”. In March, Mr Macron repeated the offer but made it conditional on the formation of an inclusive Syrian government representing “all components of civil society”. He described his initial negotiations with Syria's new leaders as “positive”. Mr Al Shara's self-declared government has pledged to build a multi-confessional, multi-ethnic Syria where all religious groups are protected.

France was one of the first European countries to send its Foreign Minister to Damascus after the fall of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad last December, who was overthrown by rebels led by Mr Al Shara. Paris has since been working on reopening its embassy, which was shut in 2012 as many western states cut off ties with Mr Al Assad in response to his repression of anti-government protests.

The National understands that France is ready to announce that its new charge d'affaires to Syria will be Jean-Baptiste Faivre, an Arabic-speaking diplomat who this week ended his mandate as ambassador to Qatar.

Emmanuel Macron first invited the Syrian leader in February to visit France. AFP

Last week, Syria signed a 30-year deal with French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM that includes building a new berth at Latakia port and investing another €230 million ($260 million) over the course of the partnership.

The contract was signed in the presence of Mr Al Shara at the Presidential Palace in Damascus.

Sanctions on the agenda

Western sanctions hinder the recovery of Syria after 14 years of civil war – it will cost roughly $250 billion to rebuild, analysts say. US sanctions, which are extraterritorial, represent an important obstacle for the Syrian financial sector to be reintegrated into the world economy. The European Union has lifted some, but not all, sanctions on the country.

This will be discussed during Mr Al Shara's visit to Paris, according to Mr Macron's adviser. Mr Al Shara is expected to have “dedicated meetings with a certain number of co-operation and development actors,” they said.

While Mr Al Shara has promised to protect minorities, Syria has been rocked by sectarian violence in recent weeks that has seen more than 1,700 people killed. The clashes have raised doubts about the government's ability to control extremists in its ranks.

Since Mr Al Assad's overthrow, Israel has also launched hundreds of air strikes on Syria, including one near the Presidential Palace on Friday.

Israel has repeatedly said its troops stand ready to protect Syria's Druze minority and said the strike near the palace was intended to send a “clear message” to the new rulers.

Dozens of Druze have been killed in Syria's recent sectarian violence. About 150,000 Druze live in neighbouring Israel where they are subject to mandatory military service. As a result, maintaining a strong relationship with the Druze community has been a priority for Israeli governments.

Mr Al Shara's trip to France is part of wider efforts by the new government to reach out to foreign powers and re-establish Syria on the world stage as it seeks finances and expertise to rebuild the economy.

Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani spoke with US State Department officials in New York, the first time US officials and Mr Al Shibani have met in the US. The meeting came after Mr Al Shibani raised Syria’s new flag at the UN.

Just days before, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they would settle Syria’s World Bank debts of about $15 million. Last Friday, Britain lifted a tranche of sanctions including those imposed on Syria's defence, financial and energy sectors.