French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria was inevitable and called for more action from the UN Security Council.
Hollande was addressing a Paris meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group which includes representatives from Western and Arab governments opposed to the Syrian regime.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SAYING:
"One thing is certain, that's that Bashar al-Assad's regime will not last. It's fall is inevitable and the arrival of the force of democracy in Syria will be determined by what we can decide together, and the earlier the better."
Hollande said he also wanted the participants at the talks - who were cheered by reports of the defection of a senior Syrian general - to agree to step up humanitarian aid to the country.
