The French government has distanced itself from a parliamentary delegation that is visiting Syria to meet with deputies there on human rights issues, an official spokesman said Monday.
The delegation is not officially sanctioned by the government and is an undertaking within the parliament and not related to the government position on Syria, officials said.
"It is an initiative by parliamentarians which, in conformity with the principle of separation of powers, was not taken in consultation with the Foreign Ministry," deputy spokesman Alexandre Giorgini said in a press briefing.
He indicated that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius commented the delegation's visit by saying the parliamentarians "are not carrying any official message" to Damascus.
Meanwhile, parliamentary sources here said that the delegation was broadly involved in human rights issues.