FRANCE: Syrian coalition names Monzir Makhous as future envoy while meeting with French President Francois Hollande

Record ID: 838125

  • Title: FRANCE: Syrian coalition names Monzir Makhous as future envoy while meeting with French President Francois Hollande
  • Date: 17th November 2012
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 17, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FRENCH FLAG FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE AND FRENCH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS WAITING ON DOORSTEP CAR ARRIVING IN COURT YARD HEAD OF THE NEW SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION SHEIKH MOUAZ ALKHATIB COMING OUT OF CAR VARIOUS OF HOLLANDE AND ALKHATIB POSING FOR MEDIA VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION RIAD SEIF WALKING AND BEING MET BY HOLLANDE REPUBLICAN GUARD VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF THE NEW SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION POSING WITH HOLLANDE FRENCH FLAGS EXTERIOR OF FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF HOLLANDE AND ALKHATIB EXITING PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "I even added a consequence, that there will be a Syrian ambassador to France which will be appointed by the president of the coalition. I have also asked for Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius to, on Monday at the meeting of the European Union's foreign affairs ministers, to continue our work of convincing so that the recognition which France has carried out can be followed by other declarations from European countries and even from the European Union." MEDIA IN COURT YARD (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: "Providing that the demonstration has been carried out, such as this morning, of the will of the coalition to represent the whole of the Syrian people in all its diversity, to centralise aid and to have an integrated military command, to have the will to give all the guarantees on democracy, a Syrian regime which would be the one following Bashar al-Assad's departure, well yes, I think that many countries will join France's position, and I am honoured that France was the first one." COURT YARD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE NEW SYRIAN NATIONAL COALITION, SHEIKH MOUAZ ALKHATIB, SAYING: "To be honest, the French government's decision was a courageous one and it has paved the way for the international community to give support to the Syrian people. The Syrian people have paid for their freedom with their own blood, and so they are asking the international community to give them their rights and to give them guarantees against the brutality and violence of the regime. The meeting was extremely fruitful and we are keen on preserving all sectors of society. We will continue to work together as a united voice towards a prosperous and united Syria. The Syrian people have not been allowed to speak out for 50 years, but now people have discovered each other and people are united and all our conflicts, sectarian or other can be resolved amongst us, this is final. France has welcomed a new envoy and I announce his name now, he is Dr. Monzir Makhous, and he is a highly qualified Syrian who will represent the coalition here." TWO LEADERS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE COURT YARD NEW SYRIAN ENVOY TO FRANCE MONZIR MAKHOUS TALKING WITH ALKHATIB AND FABIUS COURT YARD
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2012 12:00
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  • Location: France
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  • Country: France
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  • Reuters ID: LVACQESWWXQJBJHKWS9DPTIHJ2KQ
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  • Story Text: Syria's new opposition bloc appointed an envoy to France on Saturday (November 17), after the head of the Syrian National Coalition met with French President Francois Hollande.
    France is one of the harshest critics of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose military crackdown on a 20-month-old uprising against his rule has killed 38,000 people, according to activists, and risks sucking in neighbouring countries.
    A French diplomatic source said the envoy would act as a representative of the coalition, becoming ambassador once a provisional government is established and recognised internationally.
    "There will be a Syrian ambassador to France which will be appointed by the president of the coalition," Hollande told reporters. "I have also asked for Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius to, on Monday at the meeting of the European Union's foreign affairs ministers to continue our work of convincing so that the recognition which France has carried out can be followed by other declarations from European countries and even from the European Union," Hollande said.
    He invited coalition head Mouaz Alkhatib for talks in Paris after France became the first European power to recognise the group as the sole representative of the Syrian people.
    Alkhatib said the role of ambassador would be taken on by Monzir Makhous, part of the delegation meeting with Hollande at the Elysee Palace.
    Alkhatib said the French government's move to recognise the opposition bloc was "courageous" and had paved the way for other countries to follow suit.
    "The French government's decision was a courageous one and it has paved the way for the international community to give support to the Syrian people. The Syrian people have paid for their freedom with their own blood, and so they are asking the international community to give them their rights and to give them guarantees against the brutality and violence of the regime," he said, adding: "We will continue to work together as a united voice towards a prosperous and united Syria."
    Makhous' offices would be in a location separate from the existing Syrian embassy, which "doesn't belong to France", Hollande added. While the Syrian embassy in Paris remains open, there is no longer a recognised ambassador in place.
    Hollande said he expected many countries would follow France's lead by recognising the Syrian National Coalition, which came out of a deal struck in Qatar on Nov. 11 bringing together fragmented Syrian opposition groups.
    The French president said on Tuesday (November 13) that France recognised the coalition as the future government of a democratic Syria. He added that the question of arming the rebels would be considered once a transitional government was formed.
    Alkhatib this week called on European states to grant political recognition to the coalition and give it financial support as it seeks to topple Assad.
    Hollande said on Saturday that Alkhatib had demonstrated there was a will to unite all parts of the Syrian people and that there would be an integrated military command structure to "liberate" the country.
    European foreign and defence ministers are due to meet on Monday (November 19) to discuss Syria.
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