R : More than 15,000 people – including women and children – have died since Bashar al-Assad decided to violently suppress the democratic and legitimate aspirations of his own people.

He is responsible for his decision to drag his country and his people into a futile spiral of violence.

In the eyes of his people, first and foremost, and now those of the international community, he has lost all legitimacy.

R : Laurent Fabius will participate in the Action Group for Syria in Geneva.

As we said, this meeting, advocated by Mr. Kofi Annan and supported by France, should establish a common position on a credible political solution to the Syrian tragedy: in practical terms, the Action Group should agree on the principles and stages of a democratic transition in Syria as well as on the priority attached to ending the crackdown and ensuring unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance by the civilian population.