French lawmaker Jacques Myard told al-Manar that President Bashar al-Assad is a part of the solution in Syria.

French lawmaker Jacques Myard told al-Manar that President Bashar al-Assad is a part of the solution in Syria.

“International community should deal with President Assad as a part of the political solution in Syria,” the French MP told al-Manar as he arrived in Beirut on Wednesday.

Despite expectations that Assad will “politically die”, Assad remained in power, Myard said.

Paris has to know that the political and strategic situation in Syria has changed, he said, adding: “diplomatic relations cannot be only with states that we love. There are diplomatic necessities.”

Myard was a part of a French delegation that visited President Assad in Damascus Wednesday.

The delegation was headed by Senate member, Head of the Senate’s French-Syrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial. It also included other two lawmakers.

For his part, President Assad stressed the importance of countering terrorism in the region, noting that maintaining stability in region is of Paris’ interest.

Fighting terrorism demands a real political will and a conviction that the outcome will be in the interest of all inasmuch as the dangers jeopardize the entire region, President Assad said.

“If this issue could be tackled based on that principle, surely we will have tangible positive results more quickly.”