France, Britain dismiss calls to renew relations with Syria's Assad

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond speaks during a news conference in Tallinn February 23, 2015. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain dismissed on Friday any suggestion of restoring relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying this would likely end all hope of a political transition and push moderates into the arms of radical Islamist groups.

With the rise of Islamic State insurgents, some European |Union member states are critical of the position in Paris and London and say it might be time to re-establish communication with Damascus given that a four-year-old revolt has failed to overthrow Assad, diplomats say.