LOC15:31
12:31 GMT
By John Keating
PARIS, Feb 7 (KUNA) -- Following similar moves by Britain and the US, the
French government has decided to recall its ambassador to Syria for
consultations because of the ongoing and increasing repression by the Damascus
regime, a Foreign Ministry source said Tuesday.
Spokesman Bernard Valero said that the "worsening repression by the
Damascus regime against its own population" had motivated the decision by
Paris.
Ambassador Eric Chevalier is expected to arrive back in the French capital
in the coming days. It is the second time Chevalier has been withdrawn since
the violence began in Syria last March.
Late last year he was recalled because of a number of attacks against
French diplomatic missions in Damascus and especially in Aleppo and Lattakia
in northern Syria, where France has consular offices.
On Monday, Britain announced it was withdrawing its ambassador and that
followed a US decision to suspend its diplomatic mission in Syria and withdraw
the ambassador and all personnel.
Valero told KUNA that France would be making a "tough" statement later in
the day concerning the deaths of children in the Syrian violence.
Asked about the UNICEF report earlier that indicated 400 children had died
in the violence since last March and another 400 had been detained and some
tortured, he said "we will be putting out something tough on this" later.
France has been pushing the UN Security Council to react to the Syrian
repression and backs Arab League initiatives to put forward a peace plan to
end the conflict.
Russian and Chinese vetoes in the Security Council last Saturday again
blocked a UNSC resolution and France has vowed to take up the issue directly
with the Russian leadership. (end)
jk.hb
KUNA 071531 Feb 12NNNN