France and its allies agreed a "precise timetable" was needed for the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as they met ahead of international talks, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday.

"We worked on the details of a political transition guaranteeing the departure of Bashar al-Assad within a precise timetable," said Fabius in a statement, a day after meeting with officials from the US, Europe and the Middle East in Paris.