"The president of the [French] Republic recalled that France's priority in Syria was the fight against terrorism in order to eradicate the Islamic State [Daesh* in Arabic] and counteract any resurgence of terrorism in the region. This fight is not over yet and continues on the ground within the framework of international coalition," the Elysee Palace said in a press release on Wednesday.
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On December 23, commenting on the US decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Macron said that France will retain its military presence in the Levant region.
Earlier in the month, the White House announced that the United States began the pullout of its forces from Syria, but stressed that it did not mean the end of the US-led international coalition's fight against the Daesh.
*Daesh (the Islamic State/IS) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
