PARIS, May 27 (Itar-Tass) - The French capital is preparing to play host to a meeting of the foreign policy chiefs of Russia, the United States, and France. Sergei Lavrov, John Kerry, and Laurent Fabius are due to meet here on Monday evening to discuss matters connected with the forthcoming convocation of an international Geneva-2 conference on a political settlement of the crisis in Syria.
On the eve of talks with the Russian and American counterparts, the French Foreign Minister expressed hope that participants in that important meeting would succeed in markedly helping forward the prepararations for the Geneva forum. Since Damascus has already named its representatives to the future conference, Laurent Fabius made it clear that he expects similar actions on the part of the National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
Welcoming the diplomatic efforts being made by the above-mentioned countries. Jeune Afrique newsmagazine, published in Paris, recalls that the idea of convening an international conferenc on Syria was put forwad jointly by Moscow and Washington. In the opinion of this informed publication, "serious apprehensions about a destabilization in the region prompted the US to introduce changes to its policy with regard to Syria, the policy which the US has been pursuing for two years".
The Syrian conflict, French analysts are stating, has become 'internationalized' and 'islamicized'. "Hundreds of Iranian fighters, and activists of the Lebanese Shi'ite movement Hezbollah are siding with Damascus while Maghreb, Iraqi, and even European jihadists are among the insurgents," Jeune Afrique points out. Three thousand militants of Jabhat al-Nusra are the most fierce insurgents who are openly declaring their connections with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network and announce plans to form a jihadist government when a victory is won.
"The split among the adversaries of the regine and their inability to inspire if only the minimu of trust among their allies in the outside world, as well as threats which their victory would bring about, prompted the US to give up the idea of arming the opposition and seek other solutions," Jeune Afrique believes.
If the Russian-US tandem manages to secure the development of events according to a peaceful scenario, the newsmagazine notes, this "will become an achievement that will keep Syria from break-up and enable the region to avoid a mass blodshed". Diplomatic observers do not rule it out that participants in the ministerial meeting in Paris will mention a timeframe for the holding of the Geneva-2 conference. Their estimates are that such a conference may be held as early as in the first half of June.