Syrian President BasharAssad accused France of "supporting terrorism" and said he saw Prague as a possible venue for signing any future peace deal to end his country's four-year civil war, in comments broadcast Monday on Czech TV.
"Naturally, if you ask Syrians they will tell you they don't want a peace conference in France, for example, because France supports terrorism and war, not peace," he said on the CT public station.
France has been adamant in its opposition to Assad, describing him as a "butcher" of his own people and on Monday Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said working with the Syrian army to fight the Islamic State group was not on the cards until he was removed.
On a trip to Washington last week, French President Francois Hollande reiterated his determination to see Assad step down in order to give Syria a chance for peace, saying "it should be as soon as possible."