French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that his official visit to Syria is continuing despite twin explosions in Damascus that injured 18 people earlier in the day.
"Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria," Macron wrote on US social media company X.
"This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination," he said, adding that his visit "is still ongoing."
The comments came after two homemade explosive devices exploded near Syria's Tourism Ministry in central Damascus, injuring 18 people, including four police officers, according to Syria's Interior Ministry.
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French President Emmanuel Macron met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace in Damascus, according to local media on Tuesday.
Alikhbariah TV aired footage of Macron alongside al-Sharaa at the palace.
The two leaders are expected to attend a ceremony to sign several bilateral agreements.
No further details were immediately released about the agenda of the talks.
Macron arrived in Damascus earlier Tuesday, marking the first visit by a Western leader to Syria since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.
The visit comes amid growing engagement between Paris and Damascus following al-Sharaa's visit to France in May 2025, his first trip to a European and Western country since assuming office.
The renewed diplomatic contacts reflect France's efforts to expand its political and economic role in Syria and position itself at the forefront of Western engagement with Damascus.
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