France has announced plans to return €51 million recovered from assets linked to the family of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to support reconstruction and development projects in Syria.
Gatekeepers News reports that French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement during a joint press conference with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, describing the funds as proceeds of “ill-gotten gains” seized from the former ruling family.
Macron said the money would be used to finance concrete development projects for the benefit of the Syrian people as the country continues to rebuild after years of conflict.
The move forms part of renewed cooperation between France and Syria, with both countries signing a declaration of intent to facilitate the transfer of the confiscated assets.
The assets are largely linked to Rifaat al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s uncle, who was convicted by a French court in 2021 for laundering Syrian public funds through a vast property empire in France. The properties and other assets were subsequently confiscated by French authorities.
The announcement came during Macron’s historic visit to Syria, the first by a European Union head of state since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024.
The visit also saw France and Syria agree to strengthen diplomatic ties and cooperate on the country’s reconstruction despite ongoing security challenges.
