▁and ▁Sy rian ▁independence ▁was ▁officially ▁recognized ▁and ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁between ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁Sy rian ▁state ▁were ▁established . ▁ ▁France ▁had ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁Dam asc us ▁( closed ▁down ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 2 ) ▁and ▁a ▁cons ulate ▁general ▁in ▁Ale ppo ▁and ▁L ata k ia . ▁Sy ria ▁has ▁an ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁Paris ▁and ▁cons ul ates ▁in ▁Marse ille ▁and ▁Po inte - à - P it re . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁historical ▁links ▁between ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁France , ▁relations ▁have ▁often ▁been ▁stra ined ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁un stable ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ' s ▁politics ▁and ▁France ' s ▁foreign ▁policies . ▁France , ▁since ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁ins ists ▁that ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁president , ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad , ▁back ed ▁by ▁Russia ▁and ▁Iran , ▁must ▁step ▁down , ▁and ▁ever ▁since , ▁France ▁has ▁been ▁backing ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁opposition . ▁France ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Western ▁country ▁to ▁give ▁recognition ▁to ▁the ▁SO C ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Franco - S y rian ▁War ▁▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Arab ▁Revol t ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁in ▁Sy ria , ▁British ▁troops ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Edmund ▁Allen by , ▁entered ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Dam asc us ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁accompanied ▁by ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁Arab