Investing.com -- TotalEnergies Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne met with Syrian officials on Tuesday to discuss signing an exploration contract, he told reporters in Damascus before explosions occurred in the city center.

"We will be discussing with Syrian counterparts today whether we can move toward a contract after our initial memorandum of understanding," Pouyanne said.

The CEO stated that the company cannot yet visit sites on the ground, as the government needs time to establish control over territory.

"We must be patient and realistic after 15 years of civil war in Syria, I cannot send teams into areas that are not yet safe," Pouyanne said.

He added that following recent events in Hormuz, exporting oil from Iraq would require transit through Syria, but the security situation still does not allow it.