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.

French President Emmanuel Macron will meet his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, marking the first European visit for the former rebel.

Islamist chief still under a UN travel ban, as deadly sectarian violence in Syria sparks human rights concerns