France says Riyadh opposition grouping must lead talks with Syrian government

PARIS (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition platform created in Riyadh last month must lead proposed talks with the Syrian government, France's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "The opposition group created in Riyadh gathers for the first time a large spectrum of politicians and non-jihadist military that are committed around a common project for a free, democratic and inclusive Syria," ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said in a daily briefing to reporters. "It is therefore up to this group to be the interlocutor of the regime in these negotiations." Nadal was responding to a question on whether Kurdish fighters should be part of talks expected to begin on Friday, as Russia has called for. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by James Regan)