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PARIS, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande chaired a defense council meeting in which he discussed the truce in northern Syrian city of Aleppo and the military offensive to retake Mosul in Iraq, his office said on Wednesday.
The security meeting "focused on the situation in Syria, mainly in Aleppo," the statement said.
The Aleppo ceasefire must be followed up to maintain a lasting truce and end the conflict, it added, noting that the challenge will be civilians' access to humanitarian aid.
Speaking about the international coalition offensive against Islamic State in its Iraqi bastion of Mosul, Hollande said "France intends to prepare from now for the period which will start after the military operation."
Looking to the domestic security situation, the French president focused on judicial follow-up of French citizens who joined insurgents in Syria and Iraq and want to return home.
