GERMANY: Berlin repeats its calls to Russia to exert pressure on Syria's Assad regime to make them understand "it's over"

Record ID: 280569

  • Title: GERMANY: Berlin repeats its calls to Russia to exert pressure on Syria's Assad regime to make them understand "it's over"
  • Date: 8th February 2012
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 07, 2012) (REUTERS) BERLIN SKYLINE WITH TV TOWER SIGN ON GLASS DOOR READING IN GERMAN "FOREIGN MINISTRY" HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JANOS MARTONYI AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER GUIDO WESTERWELLE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WESTERWELLE AND MARTONYI WALKING TO PODIUM CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GUIDO WESTERWELLE, SAYIN
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABKQYGXCX17X4RQ3RE3YFPFWIQ
  • Story Text: Germany on Tuesday (February 07) reiterated calls to Russia to "exert pressure on the Syrian regime without any ifs and buts."
    Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters in Berlin that "the Russian government has taken on a lot of responsibility with its veto and we expect them to do their share that the Assad regime understand: the time is over, his time is over."
    Westerwelle was speaking during a joint news conference with his visiting Hungarian counterpart.
    "The sanctions in Europe will be tightened. We will initiate a contact group of the friends of a democratic Syria. Talks have already begun about this," Westerwelle said.
    Asked to comment on the arrest on Tuesday by German police of two men suspected of spying on Syrian opposition activists for President Bashar al-Assad's intelligence services, Westerwelle said "we will make it crystal clear to the Syrian authorities one more time that advances against Syrian opposition members in Germany will not be tolerated by us and that it is illegal."
    About 70 police officers were involved in the operation and also searched apartments used by a further six suspects, according to prosecutors.
    Information leading to the arrests came from Germany's domestic intelligence service and the two men will appear in a Berlin court on Wednesday.
    "I summoned the Syrian ambassador to the foreign ministry again today," Westerwelle added, after Syria's envoy to Germany was summoned last night already.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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