President Al-Sharaa calls from Paris to lift sanctions on Syria

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa affirmed during a press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday that "the safety of Syrian citizens is our top priority," and called for the lifting of European sanctions on his country. Sharaa is making an official visit to France, his first to Europe since assuming power.

During a press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, Sharaa said that the continuation of European economic sanctions on Damascus is no longer "justified" after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's rule, while stressing that the safety of Syrians is a "priority."

Sharaa stated, "These sanctions were imposed on the former regime because of the crimes it committed. This regime has fallen, and with the fall of the regime, these sanctions must be lifted. There is no justification for the sanctions to remain in place." He also emphasized that "the safety of Syrian citizens is our top priority, and we emphasized this to President Macron today," after the latter had called on him to "ensure the protection of all Syrians without exception."

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron, during his meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa, condemned the Israeli strikes and incursions in Syria, considering that they would not guarantee Israel's long-term "security." During a press conference with al-Sharaa at the Élysée Palace, Macron stated, "Regarding bombings and incursions, I believe they are bad practice. It is not possible to guarantee the security of a country by violating the territorial integrity of a neighboring country." In the same vein,

Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in Paris on Wednesday for his first official visit to Europe, to meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

Domestically, the French president faced harsh criticism from the French right and far right for his invitation to al-Sharaa, the former jihadist, whom he will receive in the afternoon at the Élysée Palace before a joint press conference.

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen expressed "shock and indignation," describing the Syrian president as a "jihadist who joined ISIS and al-Qaeda."

Laurent Wauquiez, head of the Les Républicains parliamentary bloc, denounced the "serious mistake."

A group of French Alawites, accusing Sharaa of "genocide and ethnic cleansing," called for a demonstration in Paris at 2:00 PM (12:00 GMT).

Sectarian clashes that killed 1,700 people in March, mostly Alawites, in the west of the country, recent clashes with Druze militants, and abuses documented by NGOs have raised doubts about the new authorities' ability to control some of their own extremist fighters.

By hosting him, Macron hopes to help build a "free, stable, and sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society," the Élysée Palace announced Tuesday.

Macron's entourage confirmed that they are aware of the "past" of some Syrian officials and are keen to "not be lenient" with "terrorist groups."