BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — France will make sure all Syrian opposition groups are engaged in a new Syrian peace effort that gets underway in Kazakhstan next week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Monday.
"It is crucial that the next meeting is held and that everyone sits down for talks. We will take particular care to make sure that all components of the opposition are presented," Ayrault told reporters in Brussels.
He said Paris was committed to reaching a lasting ceasefire, respected by all warring parties, and ensuring that political negotiations are resumed.
Syrian government and opposition factions are supposed to meet in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on January 23 for talks brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran. They will be followed by a UN-spearheaded meeting in Geneva on February 8.
