After Kerry, Fabius Announces New Shift in France’s Stance on Syria

PARIS – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has joined his American counterpart John Kerry in giving up some of the preconditions they put in the face of any Syrian-Syrian dialogue aiming to solve the crisis in Syria. These preconditions included the “departure” of President Bashar al-Assad.

Fabius announced the shift in the French stance in an interview with the Le Figaro newspaper.

“If we require, even before negotiations start, that Assad step down, we won’t get far,” Fabius was quoted as saying in a preview of the French daily’s Tuesday edition.

The comments represent a softening of France’s position towards President Al-Assad.

The United States and Britain have already made similar shifts to their stances on Syria, as Russia bolsters its support for President Al-Assad by enhancing military cooperation with the country.

France believes a diplomatic resolution would require the establishment of a government of national unity including elements of the Syrian administration and opposition “to avoid the kind of collapse seen in Iraq”, Fabius also said in the interview.

  Hamda Mustafa