Sharaa: Syria wants France as 'first partner'

BEIRUT — Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said they want to see Syria regain its role as a regional energy and logistics hub, highlighting the country's strategic importance following the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Opening an economic forum at the presidential palace alongside Macron, Sharaa said he hoped France would become Syria's "first partner" in the country's reconstruction.

"The Hormuz crisis has underscored the importance of Syria's geography, which gives it a vital role as an indispensable crossroads for global corridors," the Syrian president said.

"We want France to be our first partner on this journey."

"The strategic partnership we are laying the foundations for today with France — from the development of ports and air transport to the energy, water and healthcare sectors — is the model we seek for our relations with Europe and with the rest of the world," Sharaa added.

"After 14 years of war, Syria faces multiple challenges in terms of stabilization and reconstruction, and the opportunities and interests of French companies are aligned with those challenges," Macron said, speaking alongside a delegation of French business leaders.

Beyond reconstruction, the French president said one objective of the partnership was "to make Syria, over the long term, a regional hub where new logistics chains, energy routes and data corridors can be developed," helping reduce the risks posed by geopolitical crises such as those affecting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed during its war with the United States.

Among the French executives accompanying Macron were Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of global shipping giant CMA CGM, and Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies. Several agreements were signed during the visit.

"What we ask of you today is to build and develop genuine, organic partnerships with the Syrian private sector," Sharaa said, expressing hope that the visit would mark the beginning of a new phase of economic cooperation between Syria and France.