France to discuss ending ban on arming Syria rebels
By REUTERS
PARIS - France will discuss supplying arms to Syrian opposition forces with its European partners in the coming weeks now that an opposition coalition has been established, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday.France is wary of militarizing the 20-month-old conflict, but is also wary of leaving areas under opposition control unprotected against bomb attacks, Fabius told RTL radio."At the moment there is an embargo on arms, so no weapons are being delivered from Europe. The question will undoubtedly be raised for defensive arms but it's something we can only do in coordination with the rest of Europe," Fabius said.He said Paris was talking to Moscow and United Nations special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi over a solution, as it waited for the Syrian coalition to form a provisional government in the weeks ahead that could open the door to supplying arms."We want to avoid going towards militarization. On the other hand we must prevent liberated zones from being destroyed. We must find a fair balance," Fabius said.
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