PARIS
The French government on Wednesday slammed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his accusations that France is supporting terrorism in Syria.
French government spokesperson Stephane Le Foll said "Assad's words are not only false but null and void."
"France is committed to fighting terrorism everywhere and always will be," Le Foll added.
In an interview on French television channel France 2 on Monday, al-Assad accused France of supporting "terrorists" opposed to his regime.
He also claimed that French intelligence officials have been in contact with their counterparts in Syria, but that his services had refused to cooperate.
Assad said that France had "become a kind of satellite for American foreign policy in the region. It is not independent, it has no weight and no credibility."
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he would talk to Assad to help end a conflict that has seen more than 220,000 Syrians killed. But France’s President Francois Hollande has ruled out any official talks with Damascus.
