ad , ▁French ▁President ▁Jacques ▁Chi rac ▁attended ▁his ▁fun eral , ▁being ▁the ▁only ▁western ▁head ▁of ▁state ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁What so ever , ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Raf i q ▁al - H ari ri , ▁which ▁Chi rac ▁bl amed ▁on ▁Sy ria , ▁Sy ria ▁was ▁isolated ▁diplom atically ▁by ▁France . ▁ ▁What so ever , ▁French ▁president ▁Nicolas ▁S ark o zy ▁worked ▁on ▁pulling ▁Sy ria ▁out ▁of ▁isol ation . ▁He ▁proposed ▁for ▁Sy ria ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Union ▁for ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁with ▁most ▁EU ▁countries ▁comp lying ▁and ▁Sy ria ▁joining ▁the ▁union , ▁with ▁S ark o zy ▁later ▁visit ing ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁meeting ▁with ▁Sy rian ▁President ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad , ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁only ▁western ▁head ▁of ▁state ▁to ▁visit ▁Sy ria ▁following ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Raf i q ▁H ari ri , ▁bl amed ▁on ▁Sy ria ▁by ▁western ▁nations . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Sy rian ▁president ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad ▁visited ▁Paris , ▁meeting ▁with ▁President ▁S ark o zy ▁and ▁att ending ▁the ▁July ▁ 1 4 ▁para de ▁as ▁a ▁guest ▁of ▁honor . ▁ ▁Sy rian ▁Civil ▁War ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Civil ▁War , ▁France ▁has ▁called ▁for ▁President ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad ▁to ▁step ▁down ▁from ▁power , ▁and ▁has ▁provided ▁opposition ▁forces ▁with ▁non