ZAATARI, Jordan — France's foreign minister calls for a "quick political transition" in Syria, saying any new government must respect its various minorities.

Laurent Fabius said President Bashar al-Assad was "butchering his own people and the sooner he goes the better."

He pledged France's full support to displaced Syrians and countries like Jordan that assist them. Speaking on a Thursday visit to Jordan's first tent camp housing about 7,000 refugees, he called their situation "extremely precarious."

On Sunday, France set up a military hospital there to treat the wounded and displaced.

Fabius is traveling in the region to see firsthand the humanitarian crisis wrought by the 17-month conflict. He will also head to Lebanon and Turkey.

Jordan hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees with more than 150,000.