French President Emmanuel Macron urged Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday to protect all Syrians, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the country’s multi-confessional communities.

This statement comes against the backdrop of recent violent incidents affecting minority groups, such as the Alawites and Druze, which have raised concerns about Syria’s stability.

While Macron’s invitation of al-Sharaa, a former militant-turned-politician, has sparked controversy, the French president defended the move, stressing that engagement with Syria was essential for a peaceful resolution.

Macron-al-Sharaa meeting sparks controversy in France

In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused Macron of hosting talks with "a jihadist" in a "provocative and irresponsible" meeting.

Similarly, the head of the right-wing Republicans in parliament, Laurent Wauquiez, denounced the meeting as "a serious error."

"We don't welcome leaders who are former terrorists and members of organisations that want to attack France," he said.

But Macron strongly defended the invitation, saying that al-Sharaa "has put an end to a regime that we condemned and fought against, and he is ready to make commitments."

Macron calls for prosecution of perpetrators of sectarian violence

The French president said he had told al-Sharaa in talks that he "must do everything to assure the protection of all Syrians without exception," condemning the “unacceptable” killings that have taken place in recent months.

The French leader stressed that these "crimes have profoundly shocked Syria's friends," urging the Syrian president to ensure that the perpetrators are "prosecuted and tried.”

He also asserted that the European Union must "systematically sanction the perpetrators of these crimes."

Macron’s remarks follow sectarian clashes in March that resulted in over 1,700 killings, primarily among the Alawite minority. 

These clashes, as well as more recent violence involving Druze fighters, have raised international alarm over Syria’s future under its new leadership and the interim government's ability to control extremists.

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Al-Sharaa announces indirect Syria-'Israel' talks to ease tensions

Adding to the pressure are "Israel's" relentless bombings of Syria since al-Assad's overthrow, including one near the presidential palace in Damascus on Friday.

Amid rising tensions, al-Sharaa confirmed that Syria is engaged in "indirect talks" with "Israel" through mediators in an effort "to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides."

"Random Israeli interventions... have violated the 1974 armistice," al-Sharaa told a press conference in Paris alongside Macron, affirming that "we have told all relevant parties that Syria is committed to the 1974 agreement."

Under the pretext of protecting Syria's minorities, "Israel" has carried out hundreds of strikes on the country since al-Assad's December ouster and has claimed it wants to prevent advanced weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities.

Israeli troops have also infiltrated the UN-patrolled buffer zone along the 1974 armistice line on the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and carried out incursions deeper into southern Syria.

Macron condemns Israeli strikes on Syria

Macron condemned Israeli actions, describing them as "bad practice."

"As for bombings and incursions, I think it's bad practice. You don't ensure your country's security by violating the territorial integrity of your neighbours," Macron emphasized.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 20 strikes hit military targets across Syria late Friday, in the heaviest assault carried out by "Israel" in Syria this year.

Al-Sharaa urges UN to enforce 1974 Agreement

Al-Sharaa urged the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to return to the Blue Line of separation between Syria and the Israeli occupation military.

He noted that UNDOF had made several visits to Damascus to discuss the issue.

"We are trying to speak with all countries that are in contact with the Israeli side to pressure them to stop interfering in Syria's affairs, violating its airspace and bombing some of its facilities," the interim president indicated.

On gradual lifting of EU sanctions

Macron expressed hope that European sanctions on Syria could be gradually lifted if the country’s new leadership successfully stabilizes the situation.

Al-Sharaa and other top Syrian officials, who took power after the fall of al-Assad, have roots in the al-Qaeda terrorist network. They are under pressure from Europe to show their seriousness about protecting human rights as Damascus seeks the full lifting of sanctions.

Al-Sharaa headed the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which spearheaded the swift offensive that led to al-Assad's downfall after 14 years of war.

He is still subject to a UN travel ban, and France most likely had to request an exemption from the United Nations, as was the case for his recent trips to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, according to a source familiar with the matter.

On his part, al-Sharaa argued that there was no justification for maintaining the sanctions.

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