French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Damascus, Syria, February 5, 2026. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
France's foreign minister said Thursday, February 5, that sustaining the fight against the Islamic State group (IS) is an "absolute priority" for Paris, after meeting his Syrian counterpart in Damascus.
Jean-Noël Barrot is on the first stop of a regional tour as France reassesses how to tackle jihadists after Kurdish allies in Syria, who were guarding detained IS militants, were forced to disband under pressure from Damascus. Barrot will move on to Iraq on Thursday afternoon before heading to Lebanon on Friday, according to the French foreign ministry.
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