PARIS – The wave of anti-govt, pro-democracy revolts sweeping across much of the Arab world is “irrepressible,” France’s top diplomat said on Thursday, citing Yemen, Syria, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as examples. “I thing that this movement is irrepressible. There will no doubt be dictators who will try to stay on, but they will not be able to resist in the long run,” Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told journalists. “Over time, this movement will prevail everywhere, and I hope it will happen in as short a time as possible.”
Juppe said the aspiration for liberty and democracy must be respected in all countries, and condemned the use of violence by regimes faced with mass protests.
“We appeal for dialogue, whether it is in Bahrain, Yemen or Syria. I am not going to cite the (full) list of countries in which the wave of freedom has risen,” Juppe said. “This is a marvelous opportunity, it is a major and historic event. We must not be afraid,” he added.
