Paris: Sidelined from the US-Russia negotiations on chemical weapons, France is determined that demands for President Bashar al-Assad to be tried for war crimes do not drop off the rapidly shifting international agenda. Publicly, France hailed Saturday’s deal to eliminate Assad's deadly chemical arsenal by mid-2014.
China backs deal
Beijing: China, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, on Sunday welcomed a US-Russia deal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, saying it will help ease tensions in the Middle East. "The Chinese side welcomes the framework agreement between the US and Russia. This agreement will enable tensions in Syria to be eased," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.