Damascus, July 8 (SANA)President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Damascus marks a new chapter in Syrian-French relations based on mutual respect and shared interests.

“It was a pleasure to welcome His Excellency President Emmanuel Macron to Damascus, the city of history and civilisation, on a visit that marks the beginning of a new chapter in Syrian–French relations, founded on mutual respect and shared interests,” President al-Sharaa said in a post on X.

It was a pleasure to welcome His Excellency President Emmanuel Macron@EmmanuelMacronto Damascus, the city of history and civilisation, on a visit that marks the beginning of a new chapter in Syrian–French relations, founded on mutual respect and shared interests.Our…pic.twitter.com/p84rFiATuN

“Our discussions resulted in practical steps to strengthen cooperation between our two countries, most notably an agreement to exchange ambassadors, and the signing of a number of strategic agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of energy and reconstruction, in a manner that advances the aspirations of our two peoples and supports efforts towards development and stability,” he added.

President Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday at the head of a high-level delegation, marking the first visit by a French president to Syria since 2009 and the first since the fall of the deposed regime. During the visit, the two leaders signed agreements on the exchange of ambassadors and launched joint economic committees.

The agreements included a declaration of intent to return 50 million euros seized from Rifaat al-Assad to fund development projects in Syria, as well as memoranda of understanding in energy, banking and infrastructure. The visit reflects a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries.