THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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France hosts diplomatic meeting on Syria conflict

France hosts diplomatic meeting on Syria conflict

France was hosting Saturday a diplomatic meeting on Syria, where the conflict in the city of Aleppo has devastated civilians, leaving many in the city's east short of food, water and medical aid.

Russian-backed bombardments of the city re-started Friday after a brief lapse that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said had been implemented to allow civilians to flee.

More than 400,000 displaced people are already in west Aleppo. Less than 10 per cent of the original rebel-held enclave in eastern Aleppo remains in the hands of the opposition, as the government's forces and its allied militias quickly advance.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, British Foreign Affairs Secretary Boris Johnson and Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were among those scheduled to take part in the meeting.

On Wednesday, six Western powers - including the US, Britain, France and Germany - jointly called for an "immediate ceasefire" to bring aid into rebel-held Aleppo, warning "a humanitarian disaster" was unfolding and war crimes were being committed.

It was not clear what the ultimate aim of the meeting would be, but French diplomatic sources said ensuring humanitarian access in Aleppo and discussing the possibility of restarting political negotiations were among the priorities.

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