French FM to contact Annan on Syria and possible Paris conference

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will be contacting UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, to discuss the situation in that country and probably to broach the issue of a "Friends of Syria" conference, which would be held in Paris. "It was agreed at the ministerial conference held April 1 in Istanbul that the next conference would be held in Paris," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in answer to questions. "We are currently examining the timeliness of such a conference in function of the evolution of the mission of Kofi Annan and in light of his next report to the Security Council," Valero added, noting that France was working with all its partners on the timing of a meeting. The "Friends of Syria" group included about 80 countries and a number of organisations. "FM Laurent Fabius is going to make contact in the next days with the joint special envoy," the French official said.