France unhappy about Russia’s forum on Syria, stresses Geneva process

France has expressed its objection to a Russian initiative to bring about a political solution to the crisis in Syria, saying Moscow should pursue efforts aligned with those of the United Nations.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne said Thursday that the UN-mediated talks on Syria, generally known as the Geneva process, was the only appropriate forum to discuss a political solution to the war in the Arab country.

“International efforts, including those by Russia, must be within this framework,” said Romatet-Espagne during a daily briefing with reporters in Paris, adding, “The Geneva process is the only appropriate and internationally-agreed forum to discuss political aspects of the Syrian crisis, especially for an election process and a new constitution.”

The remarks came after Russian authorities announced that Moscow would convene the “Syrian Congress on National Dialogue” in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 18. Invitations have been sent to 33 Syrian groups and political parties to attend the meeting, which would bring together Syria’s warring sides.

Russia has been a main supporter of the Syrian government in its six-year battle against terrorism and has been conducting strikes against the positions of terrorist groups in the Arab country since September 2015 at the official request of Damascus.

Russia, together with Iran and Turkey, has also been acting as a guarantor state in peace talks for Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan. The three countries have helped set up de-escalation zones across Syria to reduce fighting on the ground.

France, on the other side, has been among key supporters of Syria’s armed opposition, especially the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) umbrella group, which is based in Saudi Arabia.

Previous rounds of UN-mediated talks mainly failed due to the opposition’s insistence for the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power.

But, the demand seems no bargaining chip in talks any more due to Syria’s continued victories against terrorists.

During her briefing, Romatet-Espagne also said that all players in the Syrian conflict, including Russia, should abide by UN resolution 2254, which France and other Western countries say has laid the foundation for a future peaceful resolution of the conflict.

UN Security Council Resolution 2254 sets out a political transition process, including plans for a new constitution, UN-supervised elections and transparent and accountable governance, in Syria.

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