French Frigate Surcouf Calls at Latakia for Naval Talks With Syria
The French frigate Surcouf called at Syria’s Latakia port this week, a stop French and Syrian officials described as the first visit by a French military vessel to the country, without specifying a period.
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Rear Adm. Mackara Ouk, deputy commander of France’s Mediterranean maritime zone, led a French naval delegation aboard the La Fayette-class frigate for talks with Brig. Gen. Mohammad al-Saud, commander of Syria’s naval forces and coastal defense.
The Syrian Defense Ministry said the meeting took place on the Surcouf, hull number F711, with officers from both navies present. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen military cooperation at sea and to develop bilateral ties, according to the ministry and the Syrian Arab News Agency.
France’s official Mediterranean naval command, CECMED, said the port call’s aim was to establish the foundations of defense and maritime security cooperation. It called the exchanges a concrete dialogue in the service of regional stability and shared security interests.
Officials Describe a First Visit
Jean-Baptiste Faivre, France’s chargé d’affaires in Syria, said on Wednesday that the Surcouf had visited Latakia in “the first visit by a French military vessel to Syria.” He said the stop reflected French support for Syria’s stability and sovereignty and thanked the Syrian Navy for its reception.
Faivre said the talks were intended to lay “the foundations for maritime cooperation between our two countries.” The Syrian Defense Ministry and SANA used the same “first visit” wording on Thursday, when they announced the formal reception aboard the ship.
Neither statement gave a timeframe. France administered Syria under a League of Nations mandate until 1946, and French warships operated along the Syrian coast in that era. CECMED’s statement on Thursday did not repeat the “first visit” language.
Talks Follow a July Opening
The Latakia call follows a wider diplomatic reopening between Paris and Damascus. During a visit to the Syrian capital in July, French President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian officials agreed to restore ambassadorial ties.
Anadolu Agency, citing SANA, reported that the two countries also signed a July 7 framework declaration in Damascus covering security and defense cooperation. Enab Baladi quoted a French diplomat as saying that pact provided for military cooperation, including training and capacity building.
On Sept. 23, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra discussed defense cooperation with a delegation from France’s Directorate General of Armaments, SANA reported, according to Anadolu Agency.
A La Fayette-Class Port Call
The Surcouf entered service with the French Navy on Feb. 7, 1997, according to the French Armed Forces Ministry, and arrived in Latakia on Wednesday. Photographs released by CECMED and the Syrian Defense Ministry show the frigate alongside the quay, with a Syrian flag at the mast.
Syria has also been widening its military contacts elsewhere, including talks on joining a Mecca defense arrangement with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, and the dispatch of a limited number of advisers to train Saudi forces.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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