Only a political solution will bring peace to Syria said Steffen Seibert at the government press conference on Monday. "No military solution will bring permanent peace to this tormented country," he said. "The first person who will need to heed that advice, however, is President Assad, who has been using such cruel means to attack his own people for the past six years."

The German government believe Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears primary responsibility for the civil war in Syria. It is under his leadership that chemical weapons as well as barrel and cluster bombs have been used against the civilian population and medical facilities treating them have been targeted. The six-year conflict has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people. More than five million Syrians have fled the country.

Fight against IS terrorists still a top priorty

Syria's close allay Russia had a key role to play in this conflict, Seifert went on. It was clear, he said, that there could be no political solution to the conflict without or against Russia. The German government wanted "to do all in its power" to strengthen the UN process and efforts of the UN's Syria Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to bring about talks. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had addressed this issue when he spoke to his Russian counterpart at the weekend, Seibert said.

"The fight against the murderous terrorist organisation calling itself Islamic State continues to be our top priority," the government spokesman said. Recent events in St Petersburg, Stockholm and Egypt showed "what inhuman acts these terrorists were capable of," said Seibert. As many partners as possible should therefore join the fight against so-called Islamic State.

The situation in Syria will be a key topic at the meeting of G7 foreign ministers on 10 and 11 April in Lucca, Italy.