Syria, France agree to exchange ambassadors after 12-year hiatus

France closed its embassy in Damascus in March 2012 over Assad regime's violent repression of protests during Syrian uprising

Syria and France agreed Tuesday to exchange ambassadors after a 12-year hiatus, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said during a joint press conference in Damascus with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Speaking at the Presidential Palace, Sharaa described Macron's visit as “a historic milestone” that crowns a period of quiet and deep joint work between the two countries. “This is the first visit by a French president in 18 years,” Sharaa said. “We announce the agreement to exchange ambassadors between Damascus and Paris,” he added. France closed its embassy in Damascus in March 2012 by then-President Nicolas Sarkozy over the repression of protests by the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian uprising. The closure came as several Western governments downgraded or suspended diplomatic ties with Damascus amid the escalating crackdown and the worsening security situation in Syria. Macron's visit to Damascus is the first by a French president since 2008, when Sarkozy visited Syria. The visit came amid growing engagement between Paris and Damascus following the establishment of Syria's new government and Sharaa's visit to France in May 2025. Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday evening, becoming the first Western leader to visit Syria since Assad’s fall in December 2024. The renewed contacts underscore France's efforts to expand its political and economic role in Syria and position itself at the forefront of Western engagement with Damascus.