Latakia port to remain under French management

According to a statement released by the new Syrian HTS leadership, French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Wednesday with Syria’s ‘interim president’ Ahmed al-Shara (Abu Muhammad al-Jolani), congratulating him on his inauguration and inviting him to visit France.

The statement said that Macron congratulated Jolani on Syria’s ‘liberation’ from Bashar al-Assad’s rule and invited him to ‘visit France in the coming weeks.’

The Syrian presidency statement also said that Macron reaffirmed his country’s efforts to ‘lift the sanctions [imposed] to facilitate [Syria’s] growth and recovery.’

European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said that the European Union was considering easing sanctions against Damascus.

The United Nations, the EU, and the US have imposed strict sanctions on the Assad regime, dealing a major blow to the Syrian economy.

In early January, the US eased some restrictions on humanitarian aid operations in Syria but maintained the sanctions.

According to the Syrian leadership, Jolani emphasized to Macron ‘the current challenges posed by the economic sanctions on the Syrian people and the lack of full unity on Syrian territory.’

According to the Syrian leadership, Macron and Jolani also discussed ‘the security challenges in Syria and the need to cooperate to maintain security and stability there.’

Jolani was quoted as saying that ‘Syria will be an active and positive part of the region and the world, sharing the same security concerns with its partners.’

Meanwhile, the new administration in Damascus renegotiated CMA CGM’s lease agreement for the container terminal at the port of Latakia, allowing the French carrier to continue operating the facility under amended conditions.

CMA CGM had signed a contract to operate the container terminal in Latakia in 2009, under the administration of then-President Bashar al-Assad. The initial lease agreement was for a period of ten years and was renewed for five years by mutual agreement.

Upon the expiry of the contract in 2019, CMA CGM renewed the contract until 2024 despite the intense international pressure on Syria due to the ongoing war.

In 2024, CMA CGM was once again invited by the Assad administration to renew the contract, this time for a much longer period of 30 years.

Although CMA CGM remained in the port business throughout the war, the Filipino operator ICTSI, for example, terminated its long-term lease at the Tartous Container Terminal in 2013. After ICTSI’s departure, the Tartus lease was transferred to a Russian operator, but this license was canceled by the HTS government.

According to Reuters, the HTS ports directorate decided to keep CMA CGM in Latakia with some changes. The directorate announced on Wednesday that it had agreed on a revised contract for the French company’s operations in Latakia.

The changes are said to include a revised lease term and revised revenue sharing between the operator and the government.

The European Union is gradually lifting sanctions on the Syrian economy, allowing EU carriers to resume regular Mediterranean trade with Latakia and Tartous for the first time in a decade.

Karam Shaar Advisory, a consultancy specializing in the Syrian economy, noted that CMA CGM founder Jacques Saade’s family has ties to Latakia, which could give the firm an additional reason to stay.