Iraq News

France seeks greater role for West in Syrian crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron called Thursday (January 4th) for Western nations to play a greater role in ending the war in Syria, saying the crisis could not be resolved by just "a few" foreign powers, AFP reported.

His comments came as Russia, Turkey and Iran are hoping to hold a "Congress of National Dialogue" on Syria in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this month, part of an effort that critics say is sidelining UN-backed talks in Geneva.

Macron said the international community should "not give ground to certain powers which think that just a few, recognising one part of the opposition from the outside, will be able to find a stable and lasting solution for the situation in Syria".

"In this context, the UN, regional powers, Europe and the US have a great responsibility, and I will fully commit... to succeeding in building the peace in Syria," he told the diplomatic corps in Paris.

The French leader also said that peace in Syria and neighbouring Iraq is urgently required in order to avoid any resurgence in extremist attacks once the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) was defeated "militarily".

France will focus its efforts on ensuring free and secure elections in Iraq this spring, and appeared to target Iran by calling for "vigilance" over "any destabilisation linked to foreign powers", said Macron.

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