Paris, Moscow fail to bridge differences over Syria

PARIS - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday warned of continued bloodshed in Syria if countries insist that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be ousted.

"If the position of our partners remains the departure of this leader who they do not like, the bloodshed will continue," Lavrov said after talks with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius here in Paris.

"The Syrian people will decide the departure of Bashar al-Assad," Lavrov said.

Fabius, for his part, admitted that France and Russia failed to bridge their differences over Assad's role in any future transitional governing body.

Fabius and Lavrov's meeting came amid escalating violence in Syria where chaos erupted on Wednesday after three explosions rocked the capital Damascus, leaving 12 people dead.