Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Paris, SANA- President Ahmad al-Sharaa has emphasized the necessity of lifting the sanctions imposed on Syria due to the practices of the deposed regime, stating that there is no justification for their continuation after its downfall, as they would constitute sanctions on the Syrian people. He noted that Syria faces significant tasks, and its stability is linked to economic stability, the European situation, and the world at large.
During a press conference Wednesday with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, President al-Sharaa said: “I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. President and the French people for welcoming Syrian refugees during the past years of war, and for the warm reception and generosity they have shown. I also thank President Macron for the gracious invitation and the warm welcome. This is not merely a diplomatic visit, but a moment of recognition of the Syrian people’s right to self-determination and their capacity to rebuild what has been destroyed.”
President al-Sharaa added: “For a decade, Syria’s name has been associated with the shadows of war, displacement, barrel bombs, chemical weapons, hunger, siege, and death. When the Syrian people rose up in 2011 against the Assad regime, we did not anticipate that our revolution would go through several stages, nor that our people would be subjected to the most extreme forms of violence, in an era of terror practiced by the former regime, amidst a near-total absence of accountability from many in the international community. This pushed Syrians into situations that no one would wish to experience. However, Syria is not just a painful past; it is a people who refused to be erased, refused to submit to the rule of tyranny, and did everything necessary to survive, despite the neglect, inaction, and prejudices of the world, and did so without compromising.”
President al-Sharaa continued: “France was among the first European countries to expel the regime’s diplomatic missions following the horrific massacres it committed, and the first European country to recognize the political opposition. France invested in humanitarian and political efforts, and in accountability files, at a time when few were doing so, to ensure that the pain of the Syrians was not erased and would not be forgotten, and we appreciate that. It is sufficient that a visionary state like France, with a history of shaping the features of the modern state, understands and appreciates this right in another country.”
President al-Sharaa stated: “Today, I discussed with President Macron ways to advance relations between Syria and France in issues of mutual interest. As President Macron noted in his remarks, we are exploring prospects for cooperation in the fields of security, reconstruction, and development, in addition to justice and accountability. I emphasized that Syria’s security and stability are the stability of the entire region and the world, as it has faced and continues to face serious security threats, and we are working tirelessly to confront them.”
President al-Sharaa added: “The safety of Syrian citizens is our top priority, and we affirmed this to President Macron today. Just as no one is more concerned about France than the French themselves, the same applies to Syria. We recognize that this is a difficult period, as is every post-revolution and post-war period, where feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and hope collide in the Syrian psyche. We are trying collectively and individually to come to terms with the end of a 54-year-long tyrannical rule, during which sectarianism and terror were used as weapons against Syrian society.”
President al-Sharaa continued: “In recent months, we have witnessed tragic events instigated by armed elements from the remnants of the fallen regime, seeking to create chaos and ignite strife by exploiting the fragility of the situation. Some gunmen exploited this reality to spread disorder, while misleading media networks amplified the danger of the situation by fabricating distorted narratives laden with political violence. We moved quickly to address the situation, arrested those who broke the law, and formed two committees: the first to investigate the events, and the second to restore civil peace and communicate with the affected communities. The UN Human Rights Council unanimously acknowledged our efforts, and we opened the doors to the international commission of inquiry, which commended our full cooperation.”
President al-Sharaa said: “We discussed cooperation in combating terrorist organizations on Syrian territory, while assessing France’s contribution in this regard and considering new frameworks for international support. Regarding the illicit Captagon trade, through which the Syrian regime ravaged the region, we have shown that we are a serious partner in combating drugs. We also cooperated with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which visited Syria several times and appreciated the transparency of our dealings and our facilitation of its tasks, affirming our full commitment to addressing all effects of the use of weapons of which we were victims.”
President al-Sharaa added: “We also discussed the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), recognizing that France has been cooperating with them for some time in the file of combating ISIS. We also addressed the issue of French foreign fighters in Syria and the next steps in this regard. We touched on the security of our borders and the ongoing Israeli threats, as Israel bombed Syria more than twenty times in the past week alone, resulting in the death of four civilians and the injury of six others under the pretext of protecting minorities. We also discussed the border situation with Lebanon.”
President al-Sharaa continued: “We have inherited a devastated and collapsed infrastructure in Syria. Many of you have seen videos of Syrians returning to their homes for the first time in over a decade only to find them in ruins. There are towns where the roofs of houses have been stolen, cities without electricity, and camps housing two million Syrians. Dams and bridges need repair. Therefore, reconstruction is one of our top priorities, and we are currently assessing the needs of every inch of the country to ensure that every citizen has a decent life, basic services, and a safe place to return to after 14 years of displacement. We discussed France’s contribution to reconstruction efforts with President Macron.”
President al-Sharaa stated: “We recognize that the challenges are enormous, and rebuilding is not just a matter of budgets and cement; it is about rebuilding trust, confronting deep psychological effects, and ensuring that Syrians will never again be ruled by fear or silence. There will be no place in the future for sectarian strife or for allowing foreign parties to violate our sovereignty. Syria’s future will not be shaped in closed rooms or imposed from distant capitals, but will be built in public by the hands of teachers returning to their classrooms, farmers tilling the land anew, journalists, judges, and youth who discuss and express their opinions freely and transparently.”
President al-Sharaa added: “For Syria, sanctions are closely linked to the European Union. Syria is not on the margins of the map today, and security stability is linked to economic growth. These challenges are hindered by sanctions. I spoke at length with President Macron, and we explained the repercussions of the continued sanctions on Syria, which were imposed on the former regime, and with its fall, they must also be lifted, and there is no justification for their continuation, as they would be sanctions on the people, not on the regime that committed the massacres. President Macron was very understanding of this, and I believe there are good omens after this meeting, as President Macron will make every effort to lift the sanctions on the Syrian people.”
In response to a question regarding foreign fighters, President al-Sharaa said: “There are those who came to Syria to help Syrians in fighting the criminal regime during the blessed revolution, and they remained by our side until we achieved liberation. We have affirmed to all countries the commitment of these fighters to Syrian law and that they will not pose a threat to any country. Regarding their acquisition of Syrian citizenship, this will be determined by the constitution after its drafting.”
Regarding the events in the coastal region, President al-Sharaa affirmed that those who carried them out were a group of remnants of the ousted regime who caused the killings that occurred. He said: “We formed two committees, one to maintain civil peace and hold reconciliation sessions among the people, and the second to investigate the facts, comprising a select group of legal experts and investigators. We set a deadline of one month for its work, but it requested an extension of six months, and we agreed to three non-renewable months. It must submit its report to the state by the specified date.”
President al-Sharaa added: “The state is committed to holding accountable and punishing everyone who killed a civilian or attacked people’s property, blood, or lives according to the law, whoever they may be, whether they belong to state entities or not, or even from the remnants of the fallen regime. The state bears responsibility for everything that is happening in Syria now, but after conducting the appropriate investigations and determining who caused and who is responsible for these actions.”
Regarding Syria’s role in combating terrorism, President al-Sharaa affirmed Syria’s solidarity with every victim who fell due to terrorist acts, especially since it was the most exposed to terrorism through the practices of the criminal regime, through bombing with barrels and chemical weapons, which forced many Syrians to take to the sea, where large numbers drowned on their way to Europe fleeing this terrorism.
President al-Sharaa said: “We have no connection to and do not support any criminal acts in Europe or elsewhere. Our target was the criminal regime, and we carried out our combat operations to liberate Syria with all honor and integrity. We embraced a state of forgiveness and reconciliation, and the entire Syrian people became safe. We saved the region from a terrorism that was suffocating the chests of Syrians and the region, and reached Europe, including France.”
Regarding the media’s discussion about negotiations with Israel, President al-Sharaa said: “There are indirect negotiations taking place through mediators to calm the situation and try to contain it, so that matters do not reach a point where both sides lose control. Israeli interventions are random and violate the 1974 agreement. The new Syrian administration has affirmed to all parties concerned its commitment to this agreement, and that UNDOF forces must return to the separation line. The leadership of these forces has visited Damascus several times, and we are trying to communicate with all countries that have contact with the Israeli side to pressure it to stop interfering in Syrian affairs, violating Syrian airspace, and bombing its territory.”
For his part, the French President said: “Fourteen years of the Assad regime’s brutality destroyed Syria, and its downfall was met with relief by everyone. During the discussions, we touched on the peaceful transition and the affirmation of Syria’s territorial integrity and equal rights for all components of the Syrian people,” noting that “Syria is now going through a new phase and is witnessing special events in minority areas, which requires Syrians to unite to achieve peace, stability, and all their aspirations.”
Macron explained that “Syria faces great difficulties, and the international community must cooperate with it to overcome these difficulties. France continues to support the Syrian people and protect its security and economic interests,” pointing out that “his country will help Syria in order not to renew European sanctions and to gradually lift them, because Syria’s stability and unity are very important for the security of France and Europe,” calling on the American administration to lift its sanctions on Syria, because this will contribute to reconstruction and facilitate the return of refugees.
Macron said: “We commend the steps taken by President al-Sharaa to reach an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and ensure civil peace, and we expressed France’s readiness to cooperate in all fields, including the fight against ISIS, in the interest of both countries. President al-Sharaa affirmed his determination and keenness to combat all terrorist groups that threaten Syria and neighboring countries, and this is very important. We also discussed Syria’s efforts to get rid of the chemical weapons left behind by the Assad regime and the trade and manufacture of Captagon, with which it financed its economy.”
The French President affirmed that “Israel’s attacks on Syrian territory are a bad practice and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and unity,” and said: “I hope that there will be a dialogue with Israel regarding security, because the methodology it follows in this regard is unacceptable, and a new methodology based on increased cooperation must be followed. We are talking here about a process of openness regarding negotiations, as Syria is a very important country for the stability of the region.”
Macron pointed out that “after a bloody war in Syria, the time has come to reform the situation there,” and said: “I see a leader in place who eliminated a brutal regime that we fought alongside the Syrians, and he is ready to work to build a state that is sovereign in its decisions, does not follow Iran or others, and does not support Lebanese Hezbollah Party. The first steps have led to clear results through working to combat the party on the borders with Syria and preventing its rearmament,” expressing his hope that “the coming years will be much better than the previous years for the future of Syria and France.”
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
