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22:05 GMT
PARIS, Jan 4 (KUNA) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that he wanted France to have a full role in seeking a solution to the six-year-old Syrian conflict and he warned against efforts by certain powers to work alone in this goal.
Speaking to France's diplomatic corps at the Elysee Palace, Macron insisted that the United Nations, regional powers, the Europeans and the United States should all be involved in helping end the tragedy in Syria which has left around 250,000 people dead and millions of refugees both inside and outside the country.
Hinting at efforts by Russia, Iran and Turkey to work with certain Syrian parties to broker a solution to the conflict, Macron said he would "fully commit" French efforts to successfully end the conflict and he said that the international community "should not give over ground to certain powers" who are working partially with some Syrian opposition factions, a reference to the Astana peace talks that take place in parallel to the difficult negotiations under UN auspices in Geneva and led by UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Macron warned that these "few" powers should not believe they will be able alone to provide a "stable and lasting solution" in Syria.
In tandem with a French commitment to peace in Syria, the French President also vowed to assist Iraq as it moves forward towards elections early this year and he said Paris was mindful to counter any effort to destabilise this process.
He also said that he would continue to dialogue with Iran on getting agreement to answer concerns about the security and stability in the region and he would do this in a process that would help further secure the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran, which France fully endorses, despite US reservations. (end)
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