Syria, France discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism

By Laith Al-jnaidi and Betul Yilmaz

DAMASCUS / ISTANBUL (AA) - Syria and France on Thursday discussed ways to strengthen security cooperation in the field of counterterrorism.

Syria’s Deputy Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, Maj. Gen. Abdel-Qader Tahhan, met with a delegation from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces headed by Col. Christophe Isaac at the ministry’s headquarters in Damascus.

According to a ministerial statement, the two sides discussed “security cooperation in combating terrorism, exchanging expertise and practical plans, and enhancing coordination to confront terrorist threats in a way that preserves national security and strengthens bilateral relations between the two countries.”

The meeting signaled a practical shift in relations between Damascus and some major European countries, foremost among them France, after years of diplomatic and political estrangement that followed the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011.

France was the first European country visited by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in May at the invitation of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.