Ahmed al-Sharaa is making his first state visit to Europe, which began in Paris on Wednesday. During a joint press conference with President Emmanuel Macron, al-Sharaa announced that the country is holding indirect talks with Israel to calm the situation.
Last week, Israel - which took further steps into Syria in connection with the power shift there in December - carried out a series of airstrikes against parts of Syria, saying it aimed to protect the country's Druze minority.
Macron condemns Israel's attacks.
When it comes to bombings and intrusions, I think it's bad practice. You don't guarantee your country's security by violating your neighbors' territorial integrity, he said.
"Protect all Syrians"
At the same time, Macron said he urged al-Sharaa to "do everything to ensure the protection of all Syrians after "unacceptable" killings during the recent clashes. Furthermore, he stated that France supports "a gradual lifting of the EU's sanctions in exchange for a stable Syria.
Macron invited the Syrian leader in February on condition that he forms a government representing "all parts of civil society".
Promised to include all
al-Sharaa led the Islamist movement Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the uprising against the Damascus regime. HTS was formed in turn from the feared al-Nusra front - with links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network - which fought in the Syrian civil war.
al-Sharaa has repeatedly promised to protect all religious minorities and include the entire Syrian society in shaping a new Syria.
Sectarian violence has, however, cast significant shadows over the stated ambitions, with hundreds of people belonging to minority groups, such as Alawites and Druze, killed in violent incidents over the past few months.
