DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Monday in Syria, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.
The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon, before attending the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend the summit and hold a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
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