“The fight against ISIS is an absolute priority,” stated French President Emmanuel Macron at the International Syria Conference held in Paris on Thursday, as reported by the Élysée Palace. The gathering aimed to coordinate and intensify humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and to align international efforts around a shared strategy for relief and stabilization.
The diplomatic event, which welcomed roughly one hundred leaders and representatives, sought to discuss Syria’s future after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and to urge the transitional authorities to join the fight against ISIS. Macron added that if Syria were to present a cooperation proposal, France would evaluate it not only with goodwill but with firm commitment, highlighting that this partnership would also help safeguard the border with Lebanon.
According to statements from the Élysée Palace, Ahmed al-Sharaa, named as the new Syrian leader, plans to meet Macron in Paris within a few weeks, marking his first visit to the European Union since taking power.
Supporting Syria in the Fight Against Terrorism
After a meeting that lasted about an hour, Macron delivered remarks before representatives of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Turkey, the United States, France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and other G7 members. He emphasized that ensuring Syria’s security is a priority so that the nation does not again serve as a logistics hub for militias tied to Iran, which pursue a regional destabilization agenda.
On the Spanish side, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares outlined the conditions tied to this aid. He argued that cooperation with Syria would materialize only if local authorities commit to destroying chemical weapons stockpiles, to be verified by the appropriate international body, and to dismantle laboratories that have produced synthetic drugs in recent years.
In this meeting, which occurred two weeks after Ahmed al-Sharaa was named interim president, Albares stressed that human rights violations during more than a decade of dictatorship in Syria must not go unpunished, extending beyond the necessary reconstruction of the country. He highlighted that nearly 10 million people are at risk of famine, and about 12 million Syrians are displaced or refugees who, one day, should be able to return home.
For the reconstruction plan, Spain reaffirmed its commitment to contribute 10 million euros in humanitarian aid to Syria.