Macron speaks with Syrian president, calls for prosecution of those responsible for violence

French President Emmanuel Macron said it was "urgent to prevent further episodes of violence" in Syria and called for prosecution of those responsible for the violence in the country in recent days, after a conversation with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.

"The recent violence in Syria reminds us of the extreme fragility of the transition. The civilian population must be protected," Macron wrote in "Ex", calling for "calm dialogue" at the local level to "achieve the goal of unifying Syria while respecting the rights of all its citizens".

Syria is governed by a transitional government led by al-Sharaa, which took power after the fall of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Between 13 and 20 July, the south of the country became the scene of intercommunal violence, which claimed the lives of at least 1,300 people, mostly Druze.

A ceasefire came into force last Sunday, which was welcomed by Macron, who described it as a "positive sign", while relations between the transitional authorities and the various minority communities continue to cause concern among much of the international community.

"I spoke with the Syrian president about the urgency of finding a political solution with local actors within the framework of governance and security at the national level," Macron said.

Yesterday, Paris, Damascus and Washington reached an agreement that a new round of talks would be held in Paris "as soon as possible" between the Syrian government and the administration of the Kurdish community in Syria with the aim of integrating the Kurds into the Syrian state.