French, Egyptian FMs meet on Syria, Egypt and Mideast

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius held talks here Monday with his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Fahmy, to address the Syrian crisis, the latest developments in Egypt and the renewed Middle East peace process, official sources said. Fahmy was already in Paris and on Sunday attended a meeting of the Arab League "follow-up committee" which met with US Secretary-of-State John Kerry to discuss ways of bolstering peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. That meeting, however, was somewhat diverted to discussing the Syrian crisis and galvanizing support for a possible US-led strike against the Syrian regime for what the US and others claim was the clear violation of international law by Damascus for using chemical weapons "at least 11 times," according to statements by Kerry. The ultimate provocation, according to statements by France, the US and others, was the "massive" chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21, when hundreds died, most of them civilians with many children among them. Kerry has asked the Arab nations attending Sunday's meeting to come on board to support the US and France, which are expected to spearhead any military action against Syria. Egypt, like many Arab League nations, has agreed on the need for a "strong response" to the use of chemical weapons but has fallen short of calling for military action. Concerning Egyptian affairs, the Foreign Ministry said that Fabius told Fahmy that France has registered "the commitment of the Egyptian government to implementing a road map for political transition, which would aim to build a democratic State which guarantees freedom and justice for all Egyptians." Fabius said his government hoped for an easing of tensions in Egypt in the wake of the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, who was removed by the military with mass popular support on July 3. Violence killed hundreds on both sides in the aftermath but has tapered off in past days. "France strongly encourages inclusive national dialogue that allows for the proper completion of the transition," Fabius told Fahmy in their talks.