President Ahmad al-Jarba's speech at the ministerial meeting on Syria, Paris, 12 Jan, 2014

Syrian National Coalition

Presidential Office

January 13, 2014

Our meeting today was literally exceptional. We have expressed the Syrian people’s misgivings about Geneva II and presented their demands. We have explained the truth about what is going on on the ground, and the victories the Free Syrian Army has achieved. We have emphasized the importance of immediately meeting the FSA’s needs. We have also explained, in a transparent manner, our stance on Geneva II and the way forward to make it a successful conference. We have presented all the questions and misgivings we have about this conference.

What I want to say is that we had an extraordinary meeting today. We have reached what I can describe as historic results. I think today marks the day where there is now a completely fundamental solution to the Syrian issue.

The resolutions taken today in the Friends of Syria meeting constitute a first. This is the first time such resolutions are being taken in any international meeting on Syria. I would like to give the Syrian people the good news; Assad will have no future in Syria, and this was decisively agreed on in a resolution unanimously drafted by participant countries in a very clear way that cannot have more than one interpretation.

Also, all the state’s institutions will be under the control of a transitional governing body. That was unanimously agreed on and expressed in a clear written form.

In terms of an international decision on the Syrian revolution, we stand today at a crossroads, and we can bring the good news to the Syrian people and tell them that we have accomplished a great achievement on the road to removing the head of the regime and its associates.

I am confident to say that what we have been given today was not mere promises; it was a thoroughly thought out and final resolution. We can simply reaffirm today the fact that we have taken a shortcut towards solving the Syrian issue in way that meets the basic goals of the revolution.

We have reached the tipping point, and we realized the challenges ahead. We have already been preparing for this time having in our minds certain parameters which have today become facts.

I thank the Friends of Syria, and all those who have helped us.

I would like to thank the host country of this meeting, France, which has provided enormous support to Syrians and the Syrian people. On behalf of the Syrian people, I thank the people and government of France. I would like also to thank our friend and brother His Excellency Mr. Laurent Fabius.

We will never forget those who stood by us and helped shape a new future for Syria; a free future where Syria marks the transition from tyranny into freedom in the region.