Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is making an official visit to France on Wednesday, his first to a European country since taking office. He will discuss a number of issues with his counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, most notably repeated Israeli attacks on Syria and the security challenges facing the new government.
Top issues to be discussed during the talks include "reconstruction and prospects for economic cooperation and development in Syria, particularly in the energy and aviation sectors," according to a statement from an official source at the Ministry of Information quoted by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Tuesday.
According to the Syrian source, the discussions will also cover "important issues," most notably the "security challenges" facing the new Syrian government, "repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian sovereignty," and "relations with neighboring countries, especially Lebanon."

First to a European country
He considered this visit to be of "great importance," as it is the current president's first to a European country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime last December, "which will contribute to developing the country's foreign relations and restoring its standing."
The source stated that "the visit is part of the development of relations between the two countries, and was preceded by several phone calls between the two presidents, during which they discussed a number of important common issues."
Earlier on Tuesday, the French presidency announced in a statement that Macron would affirm during the meeting France's support for building "a free, stable, and sovereign Syria that respects all components of Syrian society." He would also reiterate his demands for the Syrian government, foremost among which was the stability of the region, particularly Lebanon, and the fight against terrorism.
Macron invited the Syrian president to visit France in early February.
At the end of March, he made this call conditional on the formation of a Syrian government that included "all components of civil society" and on guarantees regarding the country's security, while he considered his initial discussions on this matter "completely positive."
Since taking power in December, the Syrian administration led by Sharaa has sought to present a reassuring image, particularly to the international community, which is urging it to respect freedoms and protect minorities, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.
The visit comes amid an escalation of Israeli attacks on Syria, including a strike targeting an area near the presidential palace in Damascus on Friday.
France knocks on Syria's maritime gateway
The visit also comes two days after the Syrian government signed an agreement with the French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM to develop and operate the container terminal at the port of Latakia.
According to the Syrian government, the 30-year agreement, signed last February, aims to modernize the infrastructure of the port of Latakia on the Mediterranean coast and increase its operational capacity as part of a broader strategy to rehabilitate the country's commercial ports after more than a decade of economic decline and international isolation.
The port of Latakia is of great economic and historical importance to Syria. It is one of the oldest ports established on the Mediterranean coast and represents one of the city's most important economic sectors. Most of the country's non-oil needs are imported and exported through it.
The contract represents the first announced strategic partnership between the Syrian government and a major international company since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime last December.
However, this is not the first time the French company CMA CGM has operated the container terminal in Latakia. It previously operated there under a contract signed in 2009 as part of the Latakia International Container Terminal (LIST), which was established in partnership with Syria Holding Company, which was then managed by businessman Tarif Al-Akhras.
CMA CGM is one of the world's largest shipping companies. Headquartered in Marseille, France, it operates in the fields of maritime transport and logistics, and operates several international container terminals.