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.

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron called on the United States and the European Union to lift sanctions against Syria on Wednesday after hosting the Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on his first visit to Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday for his first visit to Europe, according to the Élysée Palace - even though al-Sharaa is still listed on an EU terror list.