France Supports UNSG on Syrian Ceasefire, Humanitarian Truce

Paris, MINA – France said Thursday that it fully supported efforts by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to obtain an “immediate” ceasefire and a humanitarian truce in East Ghouta where hundreds have died in several days of shelling and air attacks by the Damascus regime.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian contacted the UN Chief late Wednesday and they both agreed on the “dramatic deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in East Ghouta where indiscriminate bombardments have hit mainly civilians, KUNA reported, quoting the French Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Le Drian also urged the rapid adoption of a UN Security Council resolution on the cessation of hostilities and on the needed steps to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in East Ghouta, but also to put in place “a robust mechanism” to monitor the cease-fire and evacuation of wounded and civilians.

France also urged Guterres to work toward obtaining a resumption of the UN’s Geneva process to get political transition in Syria.

Le Drian will travel to Syrian ally, Russia, on February 27 to discuss the situation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and the French Foreign Minister is also expected in Tehran, which also backs Syria, in early March. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)