Hollande: France Committed to Political Solution for Syria Crisis

Doha, June 23 (QNA) - French President Francois Hollande on Sunday affirmed his country's keenness to exert maximum pressure on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in order to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis, noting that France is providing full assistance to the Syrian opposition. During the Friends of Syria Group Meeting held in Doha yesterday, France has defended this position, which should be adopted and put into effect, Hollande told a news conference in Doha. The political assistance comes first, said Hollande, noting that France was the first Western nation to recognize the Syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The Friends of Syria Group was initiated by France, which has without hesitation sought the organization of the Syrian opposition, he explained. France has provided financial and humanitarian assistance to the Syrian opposition, said Hollande, referring to the medical team sent to Jordan to care for refugees at Jordan-Syria border. On the military assistance, Hollande said that France was the first country to urge Europe to lift Syria arms embargo while Russia openly supplies the Syrian regime with the weapons, noting in this regard that Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement during the G8 Summit to continue supplying arms under the contracts signed between the two countries. Hollande urged the Syrian opposition should organize politically and militarily, warning that weapons should not fall into the hands of the armed groups. "We cannot provide these arms to groups that would use them against the interests of a democratic Syria or against us," he said. He warned from Hezbollah's increasingly participation in the war in Syria threatening Lebanon's already fragile security situation, praising the efforts being exerted by the Lebanese President to distancing Lebanon from the Syrian crisis and any rejecting any Lebanese interference. He also urged mainstream rebels in Syria to "retake" zones that have fallen into the hands of extremist groups. If extremist groups "benefit from the chaos in future, Bashar al-Assad will seize this as an excuse to continue his massacres," he warned. Responding to a question on military contracts signed between Qatar and France during the visit, Hollande said that the defence cooperation has existed between the two countries for years, and that France has provided three quarters of the military installations in Qatar, adding that the corporates accompanying him during the visit focused on this type of installation including the Fighter Jet Rafale. However, the talks should go on, he continued. The French President extended Thanks to HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, for the hospitality accorded to him and his accompanying delegation. The Qatari-French relations are based on three principles: trust, reciprocity and transparency Hollande said adding that the two countries share the same ideas on achieving security and stability in the region stressing that France has always been keen on the security and stability of Qatar. Hollande said that several contracts were signed during the visit. French companies get a chance to execute projects according to their efficiency, not due to preferential treatment, he added. Qatari investments in France, are less than size than those in the UK and Germany, French president said adding that this was considered during the visit, where talks dealt with increasing the investments which provide the best of France and Qatar." Hollande also pointed to the Qatari-French Joint Fund, which was established at USD 300 million to be invested efficiently in industrial and advanced technology areas. (QNA)