France's president said on Wednesday he would urge the EU to end sanctions on Syria when they come up for renewal in June and lobby the U.S. to follow suit as well as keep its troops there to ensure Syria's stability.

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said he would pursue the progressive lifting of European Union sanctions against Syria if Syria stuck to its current path, and added he would lobby the United States to also follow suit in this regard. Macron's comments came as he hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris.

The visit by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has drawn condemnation from right-wing politicians in France. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.