BEIRUT, April 13, 2018 (AP) - The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to coordinate their actions to avoid further military escalation in Syria. The Kremlin said on Friday in its readout of the phone call between the two presidents that Putin and Macron agreed to ask their foreign policy chiefs to "keep in close contact" to "de-escalate" the situation in Syria. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Friday concerns about the deterioration of the situation in Syria and called for more dialogue with Moscow, his office said. Macron, who on Thursday said France had proof the Syrian regime used chemical weapons in an attack last week, also expressed regret at Russia's use of its United Nations Security Council veto on the attack. "The president of the republic called for dialogue with Russia to be maintained and stepped up to bring peace and stability back to Syria," a statement from Macron's office said. Russian Forein Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday he hoped that there would be no repeat of the experience of Libya and Iraq in the Syria conflict. "God forbid anything adventurous will be done in Syria following the Libyan and Iraqi experience," Lavrov told a news conference on Friday. He said that even the smallest miscalculation in Syria could lead to new waves of migrants and that ultimatums and threats do not help the dialogue. "Even non-significant incidents would lead to new waves of migrants to Europe and to other consequences, which neither we nor our European neighbors need," Lavrov said. Russia and the United States are using their channels of communications on Syria, according to Lavrov. "As for the channels - and they are periodical conversations between presidents and quite regular channels between the military - they are being used," the minister said. Lavrov told reporters on Friday that a suspected chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma last weekend was fabricated with the help of an unspecified foreign intelligence agency. Sergey Lavrov says Russian experts have inspected the site of the alleged attack in Douma, just east of Damascus, and found no trace of chemical weapons. He says Moscow has "irrefutable information that it was another fabrication." He said that "intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russo-phobic campaign were involved in that fabrication." He didn't elaborate or name the state. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday said the Netherlands is not considering joining possible military action in Syria, even though it is probable that banned chemical weapons were used by the government. "We have understanding for a possible reaction, but at this time it is not on the table that the Netherlands would participate", Rutte said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he had discussed with his U.S. and Russian counterparts potential steps for peace in Syria, after a series of phone calls in recent days. Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers, Erdogan said he had told both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that increasing tensions in the region was not right. Erdogan also said the current situation showed tensions had eased, but that he would continue his talks with his U.S. and Russian counterparts. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Hizbollah does not believe the latest Syria crisis will spiral into a direct U.S.-Russia conflict or a wider all-out war, its deputy leader said in comments published on Friday. The heavily armed and Iranian-backed Shi'ite movement has been a vital military ally of President Bashar al-Assad in the seven-year-old Syrian war. "We rule out the situation developing into a direct American-Russian clash or a wide state of war," Sheikh Naim Qassem told Lebanese daily al-Joumhouria in an interview. "The conditions do not point to a total war ... unless (U.S. President Donald) Trump and (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu completely lose their minds," he said.
