PARIS, June 6 (KUNA) -- The French Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed as a "masquerade" the appointment of a new Prime Minister in Syria and the decision to form a government after the recent parliamentary elections in that country.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has called on Riad Hijab to form a new government but France says this is just another avoidance tactic.
"Bashar Al-Assad remains obstinately deaf to the demands of his people," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"After the organisation of flawed 'legislative elections' last month, this appointment (of Hijab) is a new evasion, a masquerade, which does not answer the expectations of Syrians or the international community," the statement added.
France is currently organising a "Friends of Syria" meeting for "early July" and is also eagerly awaiting the testimony of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan in front of the UN Security Council on Thursday.
The French ambassador was declared "persona non grata" by Damascus on Tuesday, but the French embassy has already been closed for some time after France on May 28 took a similar measure against the Syrian ambassador to Paris. (end) jk.sd KUNA 061524 Jun 12NNNN