President Emmanuel Macron held talks with the head of the Syrian opposition on Tuesday, affirming his support for them, a day after meeting Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a key backer of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

The unannounced meeting came as Macron seeks to review French policy on the six-year civil war.

"The president spoke of his personal commitment to the Syria dossier and his support for the Syrian opposition in view of a political transition," the president's office said in a statement.

Macron met a delegation from the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee, including chief coordinator Riad Hijab.