France, US alarmed at deteriorating conditions in Mideast

France and the United States on Thursday expressed concern at the deteriorating conditions in the Middle East and urged the stakeholders to resort to calm. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said after meeting the visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the foreign ministry headquarters that the two nations are coordinating to send messages to the warring parties in the tense region to de-escalate. Blinken for his part said Paris and Washington are united in the call for restraint and the urge to stop the escalation in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. He affirmed necessity to lower the escalation while the international powers are seeking a cease-fire for Gaza. He expressed his belief that reaching a truce for Gaza remained possible, but indicated that escalation on other regional fronts would complicate these efforts. Blinken arrived in Paris earlier today to discuss the regional situation with the French officials. Source: Kuwait News Agency