The United States is united with France over Lebanon's political and economic reform and efforts to bring to justice those responsible for former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq's murder, the State Department said Wednesday.
"There is no question about that and France has been an excellent partner on this issue," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
"So this has been an excellent partnership on behalf of those Lebanese people who want to retake Lebanese independence from 20 to 30 years of Syrian occupation," McCormack said.
However, the spokesman downplayed significance of the meeting between France's envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran and Syrian government officials.
"There have been a number of different attempts at outreach by a number of different countries and different envoys to convince Syria that it should change its behavior," he said.
"We are still waiting for that to happen."
Cousseran held separate meetings Wednesday with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem with the two sides having exchanged views on the latest developments in Lebanon.
Cousseran is the first French official who visited Syria since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri, a friend of former French President Jacques Chirac.
France has been leading the international efforts to isolate Damascus after the killing as a UN probe has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian officials in the murder although Syria denied any involvement.
"There is no question about that and France has been an excellent partner on this issue," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
"So this has been an excellent partnership on behalf of those Lebanese people who want to retake Lebanese independence from 20 to 30 years of Syrian occupation," McCormack said.
However, the spokesman downplayed significance of the meeting between France's envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran and Syrian government officials.
"There have been a number of different attempts at outreach by a number of different countries and different envoys to convince Syria that it should change its behavior," he said.
"We are still waiting for that to happen."
Cousseran held separate meetings Wednesday with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem with the two sides having exchanged views on the latest developments in Lebanon.
Cousseran is the first French official who visited Syria since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri, a friend of former French President Jacques Chirac.
France has been leading the international efforts to isolate Damascus after the killing as a UN probe has implicated senior Lebanese and Syrian officials in the murder although Syria denied any involvement.
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