By Visiting Syria, French MPs Promote Revision of 'Anti-Russian Policy'

Recently, a group of French lawmakers, including Thierry Mariani from the Republicans (LR) party, his fellow LR member Nicolas Dhuicq and former member of the Democratic Movement party Jean Lassale, visited Syria.

The lawmakers visited Damascus and Aleppo. They also had a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

This was the second visit of French MPs to Syria, and like a year ago, the recent visit sparked vigorous debates in among French politicians and journalists. Taking into account France’s official stance towards Assad, the lawmakers were criticized for having contact with Damascus.

On the last day of the visit, Assad gave an interview to three French media outlets, including France Info and the official channel of the French Parliament.

In particular, the Syrian president said that the "truth is the main victim of the events in the Middle East."

However, the fact that Bashar Assad spoke to French state media is important. Can it be interpreted as the first step by Paris to resume dialogue with Damascus?

In an interview with Sputnik French, Jean Lassale suggested that the French government is very unlikely to change the Syrian vector of its foreign policy before the presidential election.

"I don’t think that France will change its policy towards Syria before the election. [French President Francois] Hollande will not abandon the main principles of his term. France cannot abandon the Geneva format of Syrian talks and join the Astana negotiations," the lawmaker said.

According to French geopolitical expert and author Alexandre del Valle, it is too early to say that Paris is changing attitude to Bashar Assad.

Del Valle pointed out that one interview with the Syrian president is not a sign of political changes. Instead, his words are being used by politicians and journalists on certain purposes.

"I think that some media outlets like the fact that Bashar said good things about [US President-elect Donald] Trump and [French presidential candidate Francois] Fillon. Some use that to do a bad turn to those politicians. You know, if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or Assad says good thing about a Western politician it is always not good for his reputation. So, I don’t think France is changing its stance. It’s rather media buzz aimed to harm Trump and Fillon," del Valle told Sputnik French.

The expert also suggested that the Gaullist lawmakers who visited Syria want to build a bridge between Paris and Damascus and lay the groundwork for a new foreign policy.

"Their visit is important. If the Rights return to power in France they would try to form an alliance with Russia. In diplomatic terms, this would require rapprochement with Damascus," he pointed out.

"I think those lawmakers wanted to promote the stance which even Hollande took after terrorist attacks in France. He realized that Daesh is the most serious threat to France, and he changed his anti-Russian policy. I think this is what the lawmakers and Bashar Assad wanted to say," del Valle concluded.