DAMASCUS, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot voiced France's support for Syria's transition and reconstruction efforts here on Thursday during a meeting with Syrian foreign chief Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
Barrot said France has stood by the Syrian people and will continue supporting efforts to build a better future for Syria, SANA reported.
He welcomed the recent agreement between the Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, saying it guarantees basic rights for Syria's Kurdish population and supports ongoing efforts to combat the Islamic State (IS), SANA reported.
The two sides stressed the importance of Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and discussed the next steps toward completing the integration of Kurdish forces into the Syrian military formation in northeastern Syria, SANA reported.
They also discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation on political and economic issues, as well as regional developments of mutual concern, SANA reported.
In a post on social media platform X following the meeting, al-Shaibani said the two sides also focused on ways to combat the IS, and the management of detention facilities and displacement camps, aiming to strengthen sustainable stability.
The visit, part of Barrot's broader Middle East tour, marks a rare high-level diplomatic engagement between Paris and Damascus amid shifting regional dynamics and renewed international attention to Syria's political transition. ■
