Paris, Jan 9 (AFP/APP/DNA):US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading on Thursday to Rome for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of flare-ups with Turkey, capping what is likely his final trip.

Blinken had been expected to remain in Italy through the weekend to join President Joe Biden but the outgoing US leader scrapped his trip, which was to include an audience with Pope Francis, to address wildfires sweeping Los Angeles.

Blinken, on a trip that has taken him to South Korea, Japan and France, was heading on Thursday from Paris and will meet for dinner in Rome with counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

In Paris on Wednesday, Blinken said the United States was united with the Europeans on seeking a peaceful, stable Syria, a month after Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad….

Blinken in Paris said that Turkey had “legitimate concerns” and that the SDF should gradually be integrated into a revamped national army, with foreign fighters removed.

“That’s a process that’s going to take some time. And in the meantime, what is profoundly not in the interest of everything positive we see happening in Syria would be a conflict,” Blinken told reporters.

“We’ll work very hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

Blinken said he expected no change on goals in Syria from US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes over on January 20.