Paris – French President Emmanuel Macron met on Tuesday with a Syrian opposition representative, just a day after hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Versailles.
“Macron however met with the coordinator of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee, Riad Hijab,’’ the Elysee Palace said.
Russia had been the main military backer of the ruling regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally.
According to the United Nations, France has been a prominent supporter of the Syrian opposition in the conflict, which has led to the loss of more than 400,000 lives.
While Putin was visiting on Monday, the 39-year-old French president threatened to retaliate against anyone using chemical weapons in Syria.