CRI听力:Belgian Right-wing Politicians Visit Syria

A group of Belgian politicians have made a stop in Syria, calling for the lifting of sanctions against Damascus.

Four right-wing Belgian politicians have made the un-sanctioned trip.

They've met with the Speaker of the Syrian Parliament as part of their time in Damascus.

Belgian MP Filip Dewinter says his group believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can be an ally in the fight against the Islamic State.

"If we lose this battle against Daesh, against ISIS, against al-Nusra, against Islamic Jihad here in Syria and Iraq, we'll lose it tomorrow in Lebanon, we'll lose the day after on the shores of the Mediterranean coast and we'll lose a week after in Europe."

The trip by the Belgian politicians follows on the heels of French lawmakers taking a trip to meet Assad without the support of the French President.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has gone on-record this past weekend saying the US government may have to begin negotiating with Bashar al-Assad if there is ever going to be an end to the four-year-long civil war.

The Obama administration has maintained a stance that it will not negotiate an end to the conflict if Assad remains in power.