GERMANY: Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calls for U.N. special envoy for Syria and reminds Greece that time is running out to reach a bailout deal

Record ID: 280228

  • Title: GERMANY: Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle calls for U.N. special envoy for Syria and reminds Greece that time is running out to reach a bailout deal
  • Date: 10th February 2012
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 09, 2012) (REUTERS) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYING: "I think that the proposal to have a common observers' mission of the Arab League and the United Nations makes sense. We also believe that a United Nations special
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Conflict,Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Q4YSXDBVRDJDV5871HCDGLOF
  • Story Text: Germany's expulsion of four Syrian diplomats on Thursday (February 9) "of course has to do with the overall political situation in Syria and with accusations made in regard to advances against Syrian opposition members in Germany," Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.
    Speaking at a news conference, Westerwelle said the diplomats and their families had three days to leave Germany.
    German prosecutors believe two men arrested on Tuesday had been spying for years for the intelligence services of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    The Syrian ambassador in Berlin was summoned to the German foreign office on Tuesday.
    "The German government made its view quite clear once again that such behaviour against members of the Syrian opposition was not acceptable in Germany," the foreign ministry said in the statement.
    In December, a Green politician for the city of Berlin with a Syrian background, Ferhad Ahma, was beaten up in his flat. He had been involved in activities against Assad's government and several Green lawmakers linked the attack to Syria's secret service.
    Westerwelle also commented on Greece as a deal on austerity measures to secure a bailout seemed imminent.
    "The time for solutions is running out. Greece's future in the euro zone and in Europe now largely depends on Greece itself," Westerwelle said.
    "Our support depends on Greek politicians not just talking but acting. Reforms need not just be announced or agreed, they actually need to be implemented and actually documented," Westerwelle told reporters.
    In Athens, Greek leaders meanwhile clinched a long-stalled deal to avoid a messy default, according to government sources.
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