France, US seek international reaction against Syria: Paris
AFP
PARIS- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her French counterpart called Wednesday for international reaction against Syria's crackdown on pro-democracy protests, the French government said.
Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe spoke at talks in Paris of the "necessary reaction of the international community in the face of the repression in Syria," according to a French foreign ministry statement.
G8 member Russia has spoken out firmly against foreign intervention in Syria, its traditional Middle East ally, and earlier this month rejected calls for a special UN Security Council meeting on the country.
Nevertheless Moscow is expected to come under pressure from its fellow G8 members to fall behind plans for tight UN sanctions on Syria.
Juppe and Clinton said there was between them a "very strong convergence of views ... on the main topics of international news," according to the French statement.
The G8 summit should allow the expression of "strong messages," they said.
Rights groups estimate more than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria as the state cracks down on the pro-democracy protests.
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