France will return to Syria assets of over 50 million euros related to al-Assad

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday, during a historic visit to Damascus, that France will return to Syria assets worth over 50 million euros, illegally obtained by a member of the family of former President Bashar al-Assad.

This is the first visit by an EU leader to Syria after 13 years of civil war. Macron emphasized that the assets belong to former Vice President Rifaat al-Assad, Bashar's uncle. During the meeting, the two parties signed a declaration of intent for the restitution of the assets and agreed to resume diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, after the French embassy was closed in 2012.

During the visit, two bombs exploded near the hotel where Macron was staying, injuring 18 people, but the president continued with the program, considering that he was to participate in a NATO summit in Ankara.