Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus

Explosions occurred in the Syrian capital of Damascus near a hotel where French president Emmanuel Macron was due to be staying.

Roads ‌were sealed off and security ‌measures were implemented after ‌the blast. Images of the scene show a plume of black smoke and multiple fires as locals gather round

A witness ⁠heard explosions in the vicinity and smoke was seen rising, according to Reuters news agency.

The French president did not hear any explosions while on his way to meet Sharaa, the Elysee palace said.

Macron was received by the Syrian president soon after the explosions occurred, according to Syrian state TV, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so.

The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon.

He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the Nato summit, where Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with US president Donald Trump.

“I have come to express France’s commitment to the Syrian people. For a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbors,” Macron said in a post on X. “Together, let us open a new chapter of stability and peace.”

France supports all those who can “contribute to build a new Syria” in line with the aspirations expressed since the 2011 Arab Spring, Macron’s office said, referring to a period of widespread uprisings across the Middle East that called for political change and reform.

Macron will “engage directly with diverse Syrian people” after he meets with al-Sharaa, his office said.

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