Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa received an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to visit France in the coming weeks, the Syrian president's office said in a statement on Wednesday.

France, like other EU countries, has expressed a desire to engage with Syria’s new administration and lift sanctions on the country.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised support for Syria's reconstruction during a telephone call with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday. Scholz and al-Sharaa agreed "that what is needed now is an inclusive political process that allows the participation of all Syrians,