France to host int'l meeting on conflicts in Syria, Iraq

France will next month host an international gathering to discuss the situations in Iraq and Syria where Islamic State (IS) has made further advances recently, seizing strategic zones in the two conflict-hit countries, a French government official said Wednesday.

After a weekly cabinet meeting, Stephane Le Foll, Agriculture Minister and government spokesperson, announced that an international gathering on "the deteriorating military situation in Iraq and Syria" was scheduled for June 2 in the French capital.

Le Foll added the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would attend the meeting, without giving further details on the list of participants.

On Sept. 15 last year, representatives of 29 countries, including the five members of the UN Security Council, met in Paris and agreed to provide Iraqi authorities with "any means necessary, including military assistance" to help crack down on Islamist insurgents.

Few days later, France joined the U.S.-led coalition against IS in September with the launch of Operation Chammal at the request of Iraqi authorities. Baghdad had asked for an enhancement of military support for local forces to combat IS, which is bent on imposing its version of Islamic law in Iraq and Syria.

Despite intensive air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition, IS has made more advances last weekend in Iraq after taking the control of Ramadi city, the capital of Anbar province and seizing around a third of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria Wednesday. Endite