French President Emmanuel Macron said he would pursue the progressive lifting of European Union sanctions against Syria if Syria stuck to its current path, and added he would lobby the United States to also follow suit in this regard.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday for his first visit to Europe, according to the Élysée Palace - even though al-Sharaa is still listed on an EU terror list.

France will work in the next weeks to convince European countries to lift more sanctions from Syria on June 1, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Paris, alongside Syrian leader Ahmad Al Shara. Western sanctions,