The Syrian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Saud, commander of the naval and coastal defense forces of the Syrian Arab Army, received a French military delegation led by Admiral Makara Ouk. This comes a day after reports indicated that a French frigate had arrived at a Syrian port. Syrians praised the news, as only Russian warships had previously been present on the Syrian coast.
Photos show Syrians meeting with French naval personnel aboard the ship. Syrian state media SANA said: “Syrian and French naval officials discussed strengthening maritime military cooperation and bilateral relations during a meeting aboard the French frigate Surcouf, marking the first visit by a French warship to Syria.”
The report noted, “Brigadier General Mohammad al-Saud, Commander of the Syrian Arab Army’s Naval Forces and Coastal Defense, received a French military delegation led by Admiral Mackara Ouk, accompanied by several French Navy officers. The meeting, also attended by Syrian military officers, focused on ways to expand cooperation in the naval sector and develop military ties between the two countries.”
It concluded that “the visit marks a step in military engagement between Syria and France, with discussions centered on maritime cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations.”
Why is the French frigate called the Surcouf?
A number of French naval ships have been named “Surcouf” over the last century. They were named in honor of the French privateer Robert Surcouf. Surcouf lived from 1773 to 1827, and operated in the Indian Ocean from 1789 to 1808 during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He is reputed to have captured over 40 ships.
The frigate Surcouf (F711) is a La Fayette-class frigate of the French Navy. It was commissioned in 1997. It has since taken part in missions in West Africa and Kosovo, as well as operations in the Red Sea and Djibouti zone.
The Naval Post said, “French frigate Surcouf (F711) berthed at Latakia on November 11, the first call there by a French Navy warship, following the Paris-Damascus cooperation earlier this year.”
In 2025, the ship sailed through the English Channel and was seen off Gibraltar. It also visited Quebec City alongside the French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral. In 2018, it visited Vietnam alongside the French naval ship Dixmude. The Dixmude also docked in Haifa in 2018 as part of a French naval visit to Israel.
France usually keeps two naval ships in the Eastern Mediterranean. Naval diplomacy and visits allow France to both showcase its presence and maintain its ties with Middle Eastern countries.