AUSTRIA: France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says new UN Security Council resolution with Russia would aim to end violence, provide humanitarian aid

Record ID: 280254

  • Title: AUSTRIA: France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe says new UN Security Council resolution with Russia would aim to end violence, provide humanitarian aid
  • Date: 17th February 2012
  • Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA ( FEBRUARY 16, 2012) ( REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) MEDIA / FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE SAYING: "Our second disagreement concerns this resolution of the Security Council that has been vetoed by Russia. The argument that we could find ourselves in the same situation as we were with L
  • Embargoed: 3rd March 2012 12:00
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  • Location: Austria, Austria
  • Country: Austria
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAD0NCKDYLAHSB91VAWWBZAKJAC
  • Story Text: France said on Thursday (February 16, 2012) that a compromise with Russia at the U.N. Security Council was possible, to end the violence in Syria in the short term and that Paris was ready to work on a new resolution to provide humanitarian aid to Syrians.
    Russia joined China on February 4 in a double veto of a Council resolution supporting an Arab League call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to quit, provoking strong criticism from the Western and Arab states pushing for the draft.
    "Our second disagreement concerns this resolution of the Security Council that has been vetoed by Russia. The argument that we could find ourselves in the same situation as we were with Libya is a bad excuse and I said that to Sergei Lavrov. Because it is clearly stated in this resolution that there will not be a military option," Juppe told reporters in Vienna.
    Juppe in November suggested creating humanitarian corridors with Syrian approval or with an international mandate for shipping food and medicine to alleviate civilian suffering.
    "We are ready to work in New York on a resolution project which is inspired by the Arab League proposals, stopping of violence, humanitarian assistance. I believe that the idea I put forth about humanitarian corridors wasn't that inadequate after all. I re-discussed it with the Secretary General of the U.N Mr. Ban Ki -Moon who is also absolutely ready to work in that direction," Juppe said.
    Speaking after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Paris would not in the long term accept the existing political status quo.
    "We are not naive and for us it is out of the question to accept the political status quo in Syria. That is why we want to continue working with the Arab League to put its plan into place, and ensure political transition which, to my understanding, the Russians are not opposing. The logic being that power would be transferred to the Syrian vice president, to constitute a government of national unity and to prepare free elections," he said.
    Violence has intensified with Syrian forces assaulting rebellious cities. On Wednesday, troops backed by armoured personnel carriers stormed a Damascus suburb.
    At the United Nations, the General Assembly is due to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that backs the Arab League plan and calls for the appointment of a joint U.N.-League envoy on Syria. There are no vetoes in General Assembly votes and its decisions are not legally binding.
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