LONDON: Syrian and French officials met in Damascus on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand military and defense cooperation.
Deputy Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Mohammad Khair Hassan Shuaib met Herve Hamelin, the head of international military relations at the French Armed Forces General Staff, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met Gen. Vincent Giraud, chief military adviser to the French president, to discuss military cooperation last month.
The Syrian Arab Republic has been keen to build closer security and diplomatic relationships with EU countries following years of isolation under the Bashar Assad regime.
In November Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, a multinational force established in 2014.
Syrian soldiers also took part in military drills with NATO members in Turkiye last month, marking their first participation since the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024.
