Syria's new president to meet Macron in Paris

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.

Macron will once again reaffirm France's support for the establishment of a new, free, stable and sovereign Syria, where all parts of Syrian society are respected, the Élysée Palace said on Tuesday.

The French president is also expected to remind the interim president of his demands on the Syrian government: These include, above all, stabilizing the region, particularly neighbouring Lebanon, and combating terrorism.

A coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, HTS) ousted Syria's long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in early December. HTS leader al-Sharaa was appointed interim president, while al-Assad fled to Moscow.

Although al-Sharaa has since renounced both al-Qaeda and Islamic State, doubts remain as to whether he has fully abandoned extremist ideology.

Al-Sharaa under pressure to protect minorities

The new Syrian leader is under increasing pressure to safeguard the rights of Christians, Alawites and other religious minorities. The majority of Syrians, like al-Sharaa and his allies, are Sunni Muslims.

Recently, Syria has seen intense fighting between members of the Druze minority and Sunni militias. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100 people were killed in these clashes.

In early March, the interim government also launched a military operation in response to attacks by al-Assad loyalists. The fighting resulted in the deaths of hundreds of uninvolved members of the Alawite minority.