On March 16, 2016 the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) assisted by the Genshagen Foundation held a regular conference within the framework of the German-French dialogue. The discussion focused on the Syrian crisis and the feasibility of a joint Franco-German response to it. Special attention was paid to the prospects for cooperation with Russia in this field. Representatives of the expert community, political circles and the media of the two European countries shared their insights on this.
On March 16, 2016 the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) assisted by the Genshagen Foundation held a regular conference within the framework of the German-French dialogue.
The discussion focused on the Syrian crisis and the feasibility of a joint Franco-German response to it. Special attention was paid to the prospects for cooperation with Russia in this field. Representatives of the expert community, political circles and the media of the two European countries shared their insights on this.
The Russian International Affairs Council was represented by its Deputy Program Director Timur Makhmutov, who briefed the participants on the reasons and preliminary results of the Russian military operation in Syria.
The discussion has revealed that the interests and abilities of Germany and France in resolving the Syrian crisis vary, and developing a unified approach requires a lot of teamwork. At that, Russia’s recent actions, namely promoting inter-Syrian dialogue and withdrawal of its main military grouping from Syria, were viewed favorably, while using military force to settle conflicts was regarded as the last and extreme measure to enforce peace.
