Mrs Clinton (left) and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe spoke at talks in Paris of the 'necessary reaction of the international community in the face of the repression in Syria.' -- PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS - US SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton and her French counterpart called on Wednesday for international reaction against Syria's crackdown on pro-democracy protests, the French government said.
Mrs Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe spoke at talks in Paris of the 'necessary reaction of the international community in the face of the repression in Syria,' according to a French foreign ministry statement.
Leaders of the world's most industrialised nations are expected to discuss Syria, where anti-government protests broke out in mid-March, at a G-8 summit starting on Thursday in France's north-western town of Deauville.
G-8 member Russia has spoken out firmly against foreign intervention in Syria, its traditional Middle East ally, and earlier this month rejected calls for a special UN Security Council meeting on the country. Nevertheless Moscow is expected to come under pressure from its fellow G-8 members to fall behind plans for tight UN sanctions on Syria.
Mr Juppe and Mrs Clinton said there was between them a 'very strong convergence of views ... on the main topics of international news,' according to the French statement. The G-8 summit should allow the expression of 'strong messages', they said.
Rights groups estimate more than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria as the state cracks down on the pro-democracy protests. -- AFP
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