Fri, June 15, 2012
PARIS, June 15 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Friday said France is discussing with the U.S. and Russia on the makeup of a new Syrian regime to succeed the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad who is accused by the French diplomat of dragging the country to a bloody "civil war."
Moscow, however, denied it was talking with Paris on the issue.
Speaking to the local France Inter radio, Fabius called Bashar al-Assad "a tyrant," adding that "the faster he will quit power the better it will be. At the same time, a regime must have a successor. So there are discussions very specific and very difficult on that."
"There are different groups that must be met, that must be assembled and to be represented, and the discussion which we hold with Americans, Russians and some other focus on that," French top diplomat added.
Denouncing "abominable horrors" in Syria, Fabius said France would "do everything to force (al-Assad) to leave power quickly."
On Wednesday, Fabius said France would propose making UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan for Syria obligatory by invoking the UN's "chapter 7" provision, which would allow the Security Council to authorize actions ranging from sanctions to military intervention in the Arab country.
