Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke to his counterparts from Turkey (Hakan Fidan), Jordan (Ayman Safadi), Israel (Gideon Saar), Qatar (Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani), Saudi Arabia (Faisal bin Farhan) and Iraq (Fuad Hussein) from 8 to 11 December.
The Minister and his counterparts emphasized that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's criminal regime opens a new chapter for Syria.
The Minister called for an end to the fighting and for the establishment of a peaceful, inclusive political transition, in accordance with United Nations Resolution 2254, which protects civilians, fundamental rights and minorities. He stressed the importance of protecting State institutions and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, which must avoid fragmentation, instability, extremism and terrorism. The Minister and his counterparts agreed to work closely together to support the Syrians in this transition.
The Minister signalled the need to protect our security interests by continuing the fight against Daesh alongside our partners. He underlined our concerns about clashes in the north of the country.
He emphasized the importance of protecting the region's stability, especially in Lebanon and Iraq.