Syrian FM urges foreign journalists to respect rules

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi on Thursday urged foreign journalists to respect regulations in Syria and avoid illegally sneaking into the country, a day after two foreign journalists were reportedly killed in restive Homs province.

In a statement carried by state-run SANA News Agency, Makdissi said foreign journalists should respect all laws regulating the work of journalists in Syria and avoid violating the law by illegally entering Syrian territories and reaching unsecured and troubled places.

In a separate development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Thursday that China will not attend the Friends of Syria conference Friday in Tunisia.