French FM says Syria peace talks to be held without Assad

“The purpose of Geneva-2 is not to have an armchair discussion about Syria, it’s to have mutual agreement between regime representatives — without Assad — and the moderate opposition in order to form a transitional government,” Laurent Fabius told French radio.

“It’s very difficult, but it’s the only solution that allows us at once not to have Mr Bashar al-Assad and not to have the terrorists,” he said, referring to the jihadist members of Syria’s fractured opposition.

Fabius spoke a day after the United States and Russia threw their weight behind the long-delayed Syria peace talks, dubbed Geneva-2, which the UN said would finally be held on January 22.