Support The Moscow Times!

Putin and Macron Agree to Push for Political Solution in Syria

Kremlin.ru

France and Russia want to create a coordination mechanism between world powers to push ahead with finding a political solution in Syria, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

Macron said the idea was to coordinate efforts carried out by the Astana process that comprises Russia, Turkey and Iran and the "small group", which was initiated by France, and comprises Britain, Germany, Jordan, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

"We need to be talking about the situation after the war. The key is to build a stable Syria," Macron said at a news conference alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Macron said the two agreed that focus should be on a new constitution and setting up inclusive elections that would include all Syrians, including refugees.

Previous international groups that have pitted opponents to President Bashar al-Assad with his backers have until now failed to find a solution to the seven-year civil war.

Macron said the two had discussed France's hopes to create an international mechanism for attributing responsibility for chemical weapons attacks. Putin made no mention of the initiative.

France, together with the United States and Britain conducted a missile attack against the heart of Syria's chemical weapons program in mid April in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week earlier.

Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him. 

Reuters contributed reporting to this article.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more