Russia, France FMs admit ‘differences’ on Syria conflict

Sep 17, 2013 |

Moscow

The foreign ministers of Russia and France on Tuesday admitted they still had differences over their approaches on how to end the Syrian conflict, despite a landmark agreement for Damascus to hand over its chemical weapons.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with French counterpart Laurent Fabius that while Moscow and Paris had the same aim of ending the bloodshed “we have certain differences on the ways to reaching this (aim)”. Fabius said there was a “difference in the approach on the methods”.

Lavrov meanwhile reaffirmed Moscow’s doubt that the Syrian government was behind a deadly chemical weapons attack on August 21, saying “we have the most serious basis to believe that this was a provocation”.

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