France's Hollande reaffirms will to sanction Syria

France's President Francois Hollande reacts as he delivers a speech during the annual Conference of Ambassadors at the Elysee Palace in Paris August 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kenzo Tribouillard/Pool

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande reaffirmed to U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephone call on Saturday his will to sanction Syria for a chemical attack this month, a source close to Hollande told Reuters. Following Obama's announcement that he would seek authorization from the U.S. Congress before taking any military action against Bashar al-Assad's government, the source said France believed each country's pace of action must be respected. "The president reaffirmed to him his determination to act to sanction the regime," the source said. "Each country's pace of action must above all be respected. It's important for the Americans to have the green light from Congress." (Reporting by Julien Ponthus; Writing by Catherine Bremer, Editing Dominique Vidalon)