France urges respect of Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - France reiterated Thursday that "all actors" must respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It came from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine at a news conference.

Responding to Anadolu's question about Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights, Lemoine emphasized that "France has previously reiterated its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."

He added, "Regarding Israel's operations in the Golan, we reaffirmed our full support for the United Nations (UN) forces in the region, whose role is to observe the withdrawal."

Lemoine said France has made it clear that any military deployment in the demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria would violate a 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

He stressed that Israel and Syria must adhere to the agreement and reiterated France’s position in a statement from Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Dec. 4, that urged an end to Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights.

"Once again, all actors must respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Lemoine.

On the issue of humanitarian aid to Syria, Lemoine confirmed that France has provided €50 million ($51.8 million) in aid.

He added that France is ready to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts, but the assistance would not be unconditional.

"The provision of aid for reconstruction will depend on meeting certain expectations," he said.