US, France have 'very important' role to play after end of Syrian war: Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron's three-day visit to the United States will begin tomorrow, April 23. A day before Macron is scheduled to arrive in the US, a leading American news channel aired an interview wherein the French President spoke about rebuilding Syria.

Macron noted that United States, France and other allies will have a "very important" role in rebuilding Syria after they defeat Islamic State militants.

The French president noted that even after the war against ISIS is won, the Assad-led government will fuel new terrorists and wage a new war which will require fresh efforts from the United States, France and other allies in order to create a new Syria. 

"The day we will have finished this war against ISIS, if we leave, definitely and totally, even from a political point of view, we will leave the floor to the Iranian regime, Bashar al-Assad and these guys. And they will prepare the new war. They will fuel the new terrorists," Macron shared

Although Trump wants US forces to leave Syria as quickly as possible, Macron had warned against Iran's efforts to overrun Syria if the countries exit too quickly.

"It's not automatically US Forces, but that's US diplomacy and that's your presence. We will have to build a new Syria after the war. And that's why I think the US role is very important to play. Why? I will be very blunt.... So my point is to say, even after the end of the war against ISIS, the US., France, our allies, all the countries of the region, even Russia and Turkey, will have a very important role to play in order to create this new Syria and ensure Syrian people to decide for the future," Macron explained

Macron's arrival in Washington on Monday will see bilateral talks with his American counterpart. Both the leaders will discuss the Iran nuclear agreement at the White House on Tuesday, a senior US administration official said on Friday.

Trump and Macron will also discuss the joint military strike on Syria this month following a suspected chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

(With inputs from Reuters)