France is ready to help rebuild Syria’s economy and banking sector, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday as he pressed on with a visit to Damascus after two bombs exploded near a hotel where he had been holding meetings.
“We want to continue working on the restructuring of the banking sector,” Macron said at a news conference alongside Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. France was working on helping the Syrian central bank, Macron added.
Speaking in a press conference alongside Macron, al-Sharaa said Tuesday that he wants France to be a primary partner for Damascus, which he said has regained its role as a transit hub after the Strait of Hormuz closure.
“After the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the world realized the value of safe and stable corridors… here the importance of Syrian geography is highlighted, which today has regained its vital role as an indispensable link in the global corridors market, and we want France to be our primary partner in this path,” Sharaa said in an economic forum with his French counterpart and representatives from both countries.
Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday accompanied by officials from several French companies. He is scheduled to travel later to Turkey to attend the NATO summit being held in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday.
