DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday they were aiming for Damascus to become a transit hub for global trade, as countries look for alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. During an economic forum on Syria's post-war reconstruction attended by Macron in the Syrian capital, Sharaa said that "after the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the world realises the value of safe and stable corridors". Sharaa said, "The strategic partnership that we are establishing today with France... is the model we want for the relationship with Europe and with the whole world".
Macron, on the second day of a visit to Damascus, accompanied by several heads of major French companies, said he hoped to "make Syria a long-term regional hub". "That is to say, a place where broader strategies can be developed, and in particular, where new logistics chains can be built, energy or data routes can be constructed," Macron added.
The French leader said such a hub would "reduce the risks inherent in the functioning of the region today and what is still happening, even if at a lesser intensity, in the Strait of Hormuz". But he stressed that Syria was facing several challenges in maintaining stability and spurring reconstruction. "The opportunities and interests of French companies are aligned with this challenge," Macron said.
Syria's President Ahmed al Sharaa said on Tuesday that he is counting on an "active French role" to halt Israeli escalations against his country.
During a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Damascus, Sharaa condemned "systematic Israeli attacks", saying "we are counting on an active French role to stop this escalation and ensure respect for international agreements".
The two countries signed a number of bilateral agreements during the forum, although French investors appeared to be approaching the opportunities with caution. In May last year, Syria signed a 30-year contract with French logistics giant CMA CGM worth 230 million euros. A year later, it signed a memorandum of understanding with ConocoPhillips, France's TotalEnergies and Qatar's QatarEnergy, regarding offshore oil and gas exploration.
Addressing the French delegation at Tuesday's forum, Sharaa said: "What we are asking of you today is to build and develop real and organic partnerships with the Syrian private sector". "And most importantly, we hope to move today from memoranda of intent to executive contracts with specific timetables."
Head of TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanne, visiting Damascus alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, said on Tuesday that Syria could become an important transit country from Iraq to the Mediterranean Sea, offering "alternative routes" to the Strait of Hormuz. "Today, it's clear that the security situation still doesn't allow us to operate, but I think it is a positive initiative to come here, to Damascus," he told reporters just before news broke of two bombs exploding near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night. "It is a country at the crossroads of the Middle East," he added on the sidelines of Macron's visit. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
