French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured) said on Thursday he no longer sees the ousting of Bashar al-Assad as a priority in the Syrian conflict anymore, but fighting jihadists such as the Islamic State, also known for its ISIS acronym.
In an interview with several European dailies, he stated two priorities for Syria. The first one is "a total fight" of the international community against terrorist groups, Macron said and called for the cooperation of everyone, particularly Russia, “to eradicate them.” Stability in Syria is the other main point, the president stressed, explaining he doesn't want “a failed state.”
The conflict grew out of 2011 protests against President Al-Assad. The French leader now says he doesn't see the initiative to topple him as “prerequisite for everything.” France was among Western nations pushing for the ouster of the head of the government in Damascus at the beginning of the conflict.
