Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday (July 7th) the agreement between Damascus and Paris on the exchange of ambassadors, in a remarkable diplomatic move that reopens official channels between the two countries after years of estrangement.

The announcement came during a joint press conference at the People's Palace in Damascus, where President Al-Sharaa described the meeting as a "historic milestone" that culminates a path of quiet and deep joint action.

Shara: Equal partnership with France

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President Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria is open to an equal partnership with France and that the talks have resulted in a package of agreements and contracts with major French companies, as part of "concrete economic projects that serve the peoples of the two countries."

President Al-Sharaa condemned "the ongoing Israeli violations that undermine the security of the entire region" and called for Israel's withdrawal from the territories it occupied in southern Syria.

"We have clearly discussed Israel's ongoing violations, and our firm position that the basis for real stability imposes an international obligation to oblige Israel to return to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and to fully withdraw from the territories it occupied after December 8, 2024," he said.

Regarding Lebanon, al-Shara said that the approaches of Damascus and Paris intersected on the utmost importance of supporting its stability and the sovereignty of its institutions, stressing "the need to extend the authority of the state and its legitimate monopoly on arms as the sole guarantor of Lebanon's national security."

President al-Sharaa announced that an agreement has been reached with France on the exchange of ambassadors between Damascus and Paris," without specifying a date for the start of implementation.

Macron: We are committed to supporting a free Syria

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For his part, Macron stressed that the ties between France and Syria are "long-standing" and that his country is committed to supporting a "free and sovereign" Syria, stressing the need for the Syrian state to control all its territory.

"France is ready to accompany Syria in the trial of those who committed the crimes, and we will return to Syria more than 50 million euros representing the graft of a member of the family of the former tyrant," Macron said, referring to Rifaat al-Assad.

He also announced the agreement on the exchange of ambassadors, and condemned Israel's violations of Syria's sovereignty, and rejected its encroachment on the security of its neighbors and all forms of interference in their affairs.