French President Macron Will Travel to Lebanon on January 17

 French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech to the French Bakery and Pastry Federation members for the traditional Epiphany cake ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech to the French Bakery and Pastry Federation members for the traditional Epiphany cake ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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French President Macron Will Travel to Lebanon on January 17

 French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech to the French Bakery and Pastry Federation members for the traditional Epiphany cake ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech to the French Bakery and Pastry Federation members for the traditional Epiphany cake ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2025. (Reuters)

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Lebanon on January 17, Macron's office said on Tuesday, more than a week after Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun as head of state.

"With this visit, the head of state wishes to underline France's unwavering commitment to supporting Lebanon, its sovereignty and its unity," said a statement from the French presidency.



Commercial Plane from Türkiye Lands in Damascus for 1st Time in 13 Years

A Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying a diplomatic delegation from Ankara and an aid shipment provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, lands at the Damascus International Airport in the Syrian capital on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
A Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying a diplomatic delegation from Ankara and an aid shipment provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, lands at the Damascus International Airport in the Syrian capital on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
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Commercial Plane from Türkiye Lands in Damascus for 1st Time in 13 Years

A Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying a diplomatic delegation from Ankara and an aid shipment provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, lands at the Damascus International Airport in the Syrian capital on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
A Turkish Airlines aircraft carrying a diplomatic delegation from Ankara and an aid shipment provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, lands at the Damascus International Airport in the Syrian capital on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)

A commercial plane from Türkiye landed in Damascus for the first time in 13 years on Thursday, Syrian state media said.
The Turkish Airlines plane flew from Istanbul to the Syrian capital, SANA reported, two weeks after the first international commercial flight landed, from Qatar, since former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s fall.
Ankara backed opposition groups in northwestern Syria that fought against Assad and his allies during the uprising-turned-conflict and never restored ties, even when most Mideast countries did in 2023.
Now Türkiye, a key ally of the new authorities under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has expressed its intention to invest in Syria’s economy and help its ailing electricity and energy sectors.