The Syrian Defense Ministry said on November 12 that the commander of the naval and coastal defense forces of the Syrian Arab Army, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Al-Saud, received a French military delegation led by Admiral Makara Ouk. This came a day after reports indicated a French frigate had arrived at a Syrian port. Syrians praised this, noting that in the past only Russian warships had been present on the Syrian coast.
The visit by the French frigate Surcouf is an important symbol. Photos show the Syrians and French naval personnel meeting on the ship. Syrian state media SANA added that “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 that "Brig.-Gen. 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 the Surcouf over the last century. They are named in honor of the French privateer Robert Surcouf. Surcouf lived from 1773 to 1827. He 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 French named a submarine after Surcouf in 1934, as well as a destroyer commissioned in 1955.
The frigate Surcouf (F711) is a La Fayette-class frigate of the French Navy. It was commissioned in 1997. It had taken part in missions in West Africa and also involving Kosovo, as well as operations in the Red Sea and Djibouti zone.
Russia no longer the only navy in Syrian ports
The Naval Post noted that “French frigate Surcouf (F711) berthed at Latakia on 11 November, the first call there by a French Navy warship, following the Paris-Damascus cooperation agreed this year.” In 2025, the ship sailed through the English Channel and was seen off Gibraltar and 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 are very important for France in showcasing its presence and maintaining relations.