“The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, said in a statement at UN Headquarters in New York. “He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva Communiqué. Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, he has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran’s participation.” Mr. Nesirky’s statement said Mr. Ban has consistently maintained that regional partners with influence on the Syrian parties should do their part in promoting implementation of the action plan, including setting up a transitional governing body with full executive powers, and stressed that he has tried to ensure that “all those who can contribute to the success of a Syrian peace process be present in Montreux to express their solidarity and support for the Syrian people.” Earlier today, media reports indicated that Syria’s political opposition said it would withdraw from the talks unless Mr. Ban retracted the invitation to Iran, while the US suggested it could support Iran’s participation if it explicitly declared support for the action plan. “During the brutal conflict of the past three years, the Syrian people have experienced horrendous suffering, humanitarian shortages and human rights abuses,” the statement read out by Mr. Nesirky said. “The Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 remains the internationally agreed framework for ending the crisis. “It is the basis on which the global community will gather on Wednesday in Montreux, Switzerland, and the foundation for the negotiations between the Syrian parties that will begin on Friday in Geneva. Throughout the Syrian conflict, the Secretary-General has sought to do everything within his power for a political solution, which is the only path forward.” The Secretary-General said he looks forward to joining the initiating parties, Russia and the US, as well as some 40 other States and organizations that will attend “this long-awaited and hugely important push for peace. “The Syrian parties, the region and the international community have an opportunity and a responsibility to end the violence and begin a transition towards a new Syria,” the statement concluded. un.org 20/1/14 -- -
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Genève II: l'avion de la délégation syrienne bloqué à Athènes...
ReplyDeleteL'avion transportant la délégation officielle syrienne en route pour Montreux (Suisse), où doit s'ouvrir la conférence sur la Syrie, est bloqué depuis trois heures à Athènes.
Selon une source officielle, les autorités grecques "refusent de fournir du carburant" à l'appareil.
La source a précisé que "l'avion se trouvait toujours sur le tarmac de l'aéroport, contrairement aux déclarations du ministère des Affaires étrangères grecques".
http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/1063518/geneve-ii-l-avion-de-la-delegation-syrienne-bloque-a-athenes
21/1/14
Russian FM says UN revoking Iran's Geneva-II invitation a mistake....
ReplyDeleteMOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN's decision to withdraw Iran's invitation to the Geneva-II meeting on Syria was a mistake, but not a catastrophe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"The interests of the cause essentially require the representation of Iran, like all the other countries of the region," Lavrov said during his annual press conference.
"In this case, we are speaking about a one-day event on Jan. 22, to which some 40 foreign ministers from different states, including the most remote regions, have been invited," Lavrov said.
Lavrov cited U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who earlier said Iran must play an important role in the search for generally accepted ways of settling the Syrian crisis.
The Russian foreign minister said Iran's absence at Geneva-II would not facilitate defeating terrorism in the Muslim world, nor provide unity of the Muslim world.
"Terrorism is a threat to us all, Muslims including," Lavrov said, adding Moscow had consistently warned of the danger of a split in the Muslim world, which would bring about catastrophic consequences.
He said the situation that occurred when the international peace conference on Syria was organized did not add authority to the UN.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon initially invited Iran to Geneva-II but later revoked the invitation, saying Tehran had failed to confirm its adherence to the Geneva-I communique.
Meanwhile, Lavrov said Russia was trying its best to "promote political settlement" of the Syrian crisis.
"We are satisfied with the fact that reasonable approaches based on the logic of peace and basic principles of international law prevailed," he said, adding Russia was against unilateral actions, including attempts to use force bypassing the UN Charter.
http://english.cntv.cn/20140121/104404.shtml
21/1/14
Kerry: No way Assad can be part of new gov't in Syria ....
ReplyDeleteUS Secretary of State John Kerry said during opening statements at the Geneva 2 summit that there is no way current Syrian President Bashar Assad can be part of a new transitional government.
Kerry added that Assad cannot regain legitimacy to govern in Syria.
The peace summit opened on Wednesday morning in Montreux, Switzerland and is being attended by high level diplomats from around the world.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Kerry-No-way-Assad-can-be-part-of-new-gov-in-Syria-338984
22/1/14
'No one, Mr Kerry, has right to withdraw legitimacy from Syrian gov't' - Foreign Minister ....
ReplyDeleteSyrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem chided Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday after the American diplomat ruled out any role for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a new government.
"No one, Mr Kerry, in the world has the right to confer or withdraw the legitimacy of a president, a constitution or a law, except for the Syrians themselves," Muallem said at the opening of peace talks in the Swiss city of Montreux.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_01_22/No-one-Mr-Kerry-has-right-to-withdraw-legitimacy-from-Syrian-govt-Syrian-FM-5809/
22/1/14
Syrie: pas de guerre civile, mais une lutte antiterroriste (ministre)....
ReplyDeleteIl n'y a pas de guerre civile en Syrie, le gouvernement syrien lutte contre les terroristes, a déclaré le ministre syrien de l'Information Omran Ahed Zohbi dans une interview à la chaîne de télévision NBC.
"Notre mission principale consiste à combattre le terrorisme qui se propage dans la région, notamment avec Al-Qaïda et le Front al-Nosra. Il n'y a pas de guerre civile en Syrie. Les médias étrangers ont tort en parlant de la guerre civile. C'est une lutte du gouvernement contre le terrorisme", a indiqué M.Zohbi à la veille de la conférence internationale Genève-2 sur la paix en Syrie qui s'est ouverte mercredi à Montreux (Suisse).
Un membre de la délégation syrienne à la conférence de Montreux, le représentant permanent de la Syrie auprès de l'ONU Bashar Ja'afari a qualifié la conférence "Genève2" de "dialogue national entre les Syriens". "Nous ne nous sommes pas réunis ici pour décider si le président Bachar el-Assad était bon au mauvais. Nous nous sommes rassemblés pour discuter de l'avenir de la Syrie", a-t-il déclaré.
La conférence de paix internationale dite "Genève-2", censée apporter une solution à la crise qui secoue la Syrie depuis mars 2011, s'est ouverte mercredi à Montreux, en Suisse. Organisée sous l'égide de l'ONU, elle a réuni pour la première fois depuis trois ans les représentants des autorités et de l'opposition syriennes, ainsi que des Etats-Unis et de la Russie.
http://fr.ria.ru/world/20140122/200280435.html
22/1/13