21 July 2012 - Syria

Whatever its manoeuvring, Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been condemned by its own people, who are demonstrating great courage. The time has come to prepare for the transition and the day after tomorrow.

With this in mind, I’ve had a number of contacts, particularly with the Arab League Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Qatar. We all agree that the hour has come for the opposition to get ready to take charge of the country.

We’d like a provisional government to be swiftly formed that will have to be representative of the diversity of Syrian society. France fully supports the Arab League’s efforts to this end.

We’re ready for any initiative – including a ministerial meeting in Paris – to consolidate the Arab countries’ efforts to build tomorrow’s Syria.

We’ll also seek to provide, along with the European Union, the aid and support necessary to the ever growing number of refugees, in coordination with the neighbouring countries. I’ll discuss this matter with my European colleagues in Brussels on Monday.

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