France signs on to Syria's reconstruction with sector-by-sector roadmap

France just put its name on Syria’s rebuild: At the end of a trip to Damascus at the helm of a business delegation, French President Emmanuel Macron and Syria’s Ahmed Al Sharaa walked away with a declaration of intent, a stack of MoUs, and a sector-by-sector plan that reads less like a visit and more like a term sheet. Al Sharaa called it “an integrated roadmap for reconstruction,” which includes aviation, air cargo, energy and infrastructure, and more.

Al Sharaa’s pitch to French capital: “Our industrial cities are ready to be a launchpad for French factories” as Syria looks to cultivate a partnership “built on interests that serve our peoples, not slogans,” the president said.

Aviation got the first hard signatures. The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority signed an MoU with France’s Transport Ministry to fold Syria back into the European and global aviation system, plus an agreement with Thales to overhaul air-traffic control. Separately, Syrian Airlines’ holding company inked a strategic partnership with CMA CGM Air Cargo to stand up a cargo fleet.

The headline name, though, is TotalEnergies. CEO Patrick Pouyanne flew in with Macron to discuss signing an exploration contract, building on the May MoU with the Syrian Petroleum Company for an offshore Mediterranean block. “Syria’s offshore has never really been explored,” Pouyanne said. He also floated pipelines carrying Iraqi crude through Syria — a Strait of Hormuz workaround that suddenly looks strategic after the US-Israeli war with Iran.

France isn’t the only Western country pouring into Damascus: A German business delegation was in Syria just a day ahead of the French, where they met with Economy Minister Nidal Al Shaar to kick the tires on reconstruction investments.