SNC and French FM call for immediate withdraw of troops from Iran and Hezbollah from Syria

• published: 31 Jul 2015
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1. Wide of delegates outside conference 2. Mid of Dr Kamal al-Labwani, member of the Syrian opposition movement, talking to journalist 3. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Dr. Kamal al-Labwani, member of the Syrian opposition movement: "Any argument, any debate or any dialogue must be about the transfer of power and not for the staying-on of Bashar Assad. The aim of the negotiations is clear: the transfer of Syria into democracy." 4. Mid of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius walking 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister: "I would like to confirm that because of the decision which has been taken by Hezbollah and the fact that they are fighting very harshly the Syrian population, we have decided to ask that the military branch of Hezbollah would be considered as a terrorist organisation and many of us, I mean, European countries, are on this line and my guess is that it will be a decision which will be taken by Europe as a whole." 6. Mid of cameraman STORYLINE: Jordan hosted a "Friends of Syria" conference on Wednesday evening, with top diplomats meeting behind closed doors for more than two hours to discuss how to change the momentum in Syria's civil war. Diplomats representing the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Britain, France, Germany and Italy were in attendance at the meeting, set to prepare for United Nations-hosted international talks on Syria planned for next month. George Sabra, head of the main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, was also at the meeting. Wednesday's talks come after several weeks of military gains by President Bashar Assad's regime, including the reopening of a key southern highway to Jordan and a push into a strategic rebel-held western town over the weekend. Assad has said that he will not step down as a result of the transition talks, and that Syria's political future must be determined in elections. Dr Kamal al-Labwani, a member of the Syrian opposition movement, told reporters that "any dialogue must be about the transfer of power and not for the staying-on of Bashar Assad." Despite the fighting, the international community hopes to bring representatives of the regime and the opposition to an international conference in June to launch peace talks. The goal is to form a joint transitional government to pave the way for elections, but gaps between the sides remain wide. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Hezbollah's military wing may soon be considered as a "terrorist organisation" for its role in the Syrian conflict. "Many of us, I mean, European countries, are on this line and my guess is that it will be a decision which will be taken by Europe as a whole," Fabius told reporters. The meeting also warned of "severe consequences" if the use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces is confirmed. Their united efforts have so far been unable to stem military gains by Assad's troops and their allies. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e48c62a46118d615d4c972c5599a4dca Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork