French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot arrived at Tishreen Palace in Damascus on Thursday morning, February 5, 2026, for a meeting with Asaad al-Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Syria’s Transitional Government. The visit — Barrot’s second to Syria since the fall of the previous regime — marks the opening stop of a broader regional tour across the Middle East.
On Wednesday, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux announced that Barrot’s discussions with al-Shaibani would focus on “prospects for cooperation and coordination on issues of mutual interest,” according to remarks carried by Agence France-Presse.
Following his stop in Damascus, Barrot will travel to Baghdad for talks centered on supporting stabilization efforts and continuing the fight against ISIS. He is scheduled to arrive in Beirut on Friday, where he will discuss support for Lebanese state institutions and preparations for the upcoming conference in Paris aimed at assisting the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces, set for early March next year.
Barrot’s visit comes on the heels of a January 31 phone call between Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Shaara and French President Emmanuel Macron. During that conversation, the two leaders reviewed regional developments and the comprehensive agreement recently concluded between the Transitional Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Macron expressed strong support for the agreement, underscoring the importance of its implementation to safeguard Syria’s unity and sovereignty. He also reaffirmed France’s commitment to continued coordination “to support Syria and the Syrian people on the path to stability, justice, and reconstruction.”
This latest meeting follows an earlier encounter between al-Shaibani and Barrot in Paris on January 6, during which the two sides discussed strengthening strategic partnerships and France’s readiness for its companies to resume operations in Syria.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
