France’s Hollande says Europe must lift Syria arms embargo - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page

French President Francois Hollande arrives at the EU Headquarters on March 14, 2013 in Brussels, on the first day of a two-day EU summit. (AFP)

Al Arabiya with agencies - 

French President Francois Hollande on Thursday called on Europe's leaders to lift an arms embargo on Syria to help insurgents fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Arriving for a two-day summit with European Union leaders, Hollande said: "We want Europeans to lift the arms embargo."

"We are ready to support the rebellion, so we are ready to go this far. We must take our responsibilities," Hollande told journalists.

Noting that countries including Russia were providing arms to Assad's regime, Hollande said France "must convince its European partners" to tip the balance by ending the embargo, although the issue was not on the agenda for the Brussels summit.

"Britain and France agree on this option," he said...............

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