France reiterated its support for efforts by the United Nations to find a negotiated political solution to end the suffering of the Syrian people and the war in Syria, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said.
As for the role of Assad in the future of Syria, Ayrault stressed that his country is committed to the text and spirit of UN Security Council resolution 2254, which called for a negotiated a political transition.
Ayrault added: “France cannot believe for one moment that Syria can be led by Bashar Assad given his responsibility for the current situation: more than 300,000 dead, prisoners, people tortured, a country destroyed. It’s a question of responsibilities.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, Ayrault said that the aim of the negotiations must be to achieve a genuine and credible political transition, including constitutional reforms and elections.
France gives top priority to the humanitarian track in addressing the issues of both the Syrian and Yemeni peoples.
The French top diplomat stressed Paris’s commitment to supporting the Geneva talks between the opposition and the regime under the auspices of the United Nations, despite the difficulties ahead. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
