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Syria breaks off contacts with France over Lebanon: minister
AFP, January 2,
2008
DAMASCUS, Jan
2, 2008 (AFP) - Syria will break off contacts with France on
the political crisis in Lebanon, Foreign Minister Walid
Muallem announced Wednesday, responding to a similar gesture
by Paris three days earlier.
"Syria has
decided to cease Franco-Syrian cooperation on the Lebanese
crisis," Muallem told a press conference in Damascus.
French
President Nicolas Sarkozy said Sunday that Paris was
suspending contacts with Syria until Damascus shows
willingness to let Lebanon end its long-running political
crisis and find a new president,
Muallem accused
the French of trying to blame the failure of international
efforts to resolve the crisis in neighbouring Lebanon on
Syria and the Damascus-backed opposition in Beirut.
"We were
surprised to learn of the comments of the French president
during a press conference in Cairo in which he said Syria
and the Lebanese opposition are responsible for the failure
-- despite Syria's efforts, which are well known to France,
and the flexibility shown by the opposition to facilitate a
consensual settlement." |
