Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa receives French President Emmanuel Macron at the People’s Palace in Damascus, July 7, 2026
Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa has hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the People’s Palace in Damascus.
The meeting proceeded despite a double bombing near Macron’s hotel in the Syrian capital. The first blast hit soon after Macron’s motorcade left for the Palace.
His office said he did not hear the explosions, which wounded 18 people.
The Islamic State, which lost its last territory in Syria in 2018 but whose cells are still active, is suspected of a series of bombings in the city and across the country.
Macron arrived on Monday evening on the first visit by a French President since 2009. He is accompanied by a delegation of investors and representatives of French companies.
After the bombing, Macron posted, “Nothing can undermine the desire of Syrians to live in a fully sovereign and secure Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity, and I saw dignity, courage and determination.”
Sharaa, who led the largest anti-Assad faction during the Syrian Revolution, took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
