French President Emmanuel Macron said he would pursue the progressive lifting of European Union sanctions against Syria if Syria stuck to its current path, and added he would lobby the United States to also follow suit in this regard.

Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday, in what will mark his first official trip to Europe since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday meets France's Emmanuel Macron in Paris on his first visit to Europe since overthrowing longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.