Abu Dhabi – WAM – Damascus – Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his support for Syria's new authorities during an unprecedented visit to Damascus that he pressed ahead with despite two explosions near the hotel where he spent the night. The visit included the signing of bilateral agreements with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa across several fields, laying the foundation for an economic partnership to support Syria's reconstruction, alongside an announcement that the exchange of ambassadors would begin soon. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, condemned in the strongest terms the two terrorist bombings that took place near the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the UAE expressed its strongest condemnation of these terrorist acts and its categorical rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability.

The ministry also affirmed the UAE's solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic and its brotherly people in the face of this heinous attack, and conveyed its wishes for the swift recovery of all those injured.

Syria's official news agency announced that 18 people were wounded, including 4 police officers, as a result of the explosions that struck the capital Damascus while French President Emmanuel Macron was visiting.

According to Syria's Ministry of Interior, two explosions occurred near the Ministry of Tourism in the capital Damascus, wounding a number of people, including 4 police officers.

The blasts reverberated across several parts of Damascus before columns of smoke rose and ambulances rushed to the scene, at a time when Macron — the first Western head of state to visit Damascus since the ousting of Assad — was holding formal talks with his Syrian counterpart at the presidential palace.

The French presidency (the Élysée) announced that Macron had not heard any explosions while on his way to meet Al-Sharaa at the presidential palace in Damascus, and confirmed that Macron was safe and that his visit to Syria was continuing.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in the Syrian capital Damascus, Macron said these attacks should not