France says Russia bears a heavy responsibility over Syria

France has blasted Russia's vetoing of a UN draft resolution demanding the Syrian government cooperate with an investigation into a suspected chemical attack.

"Russia bears a heavy responsibility through its systematic opposition -- in order to protect its ally Assad -- to a multilateral response to the issue of Syria," the office of French President Francois Hollande said in a statement yesterday.

The resolution "was designed to allow a rapid, thorough inquiry by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to establish responsibility for the chemical attacks on April 4 in Idlib province", the statement said.

Russia's veto was the eighth time it had chosen to oppose a majority of the (UN Security) Council in this way, it added.
 

"Only the coming together of the international community in favour of a political transition in Syria will allow this martyred country to find peace, stability and sovereignty again.

"France will continue to mobilise in this way.