RUSSIA: Syria would welcome any efforts to resolve the crisis and sees Russia's U.N. resolution veto as means of protection for the country, Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, says

Record ID: 280615

  • Title: RUSSIA: Syria would welcome any efforts to resolve the crisis and sees Russia's U.N. resolution veto as means of protection for the country, Syrian Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, says
  • Date: 16th February 2012
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 15, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA NEWSPAPER OFFICE SYRIA'S AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA, RIAD HADDAD, TAKING SEAT AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIA'S AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA, RIAD HADDAD, SAYING: "We support, appreciate and are proud of the position of Russia's authorities. This veto protects and strength
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1HDZ9E2XIKN7U9LV4J4K8EBLJ
  • Story Text: Syria welcomed Russia's veto on the United Nation's resolution, the country's ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, said at a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday (February 15), ruling out the possibility of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stepping down.
    Russia, Syria's long-time ally and main arms supplier, and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on February 4 that would have called on Assad to step down.
    "We support, appreciate and are proud of the position of Russia's authorities. This veto protects and strengthens the international law and U.N. regulations," Haddad said on Wednesday.
    "The number of protesters, who get out in the streets and demand the president's resignation, is very little - let's say for argument's sake that they're 100,000. And Syria's population is 23 million people. That's why I rule out this option (of Assad stepping down)," he added.
    Since February 4 Arab nations led by Gulf state rivals to Assad have been working to put a new resolution before the General Assembly. Unlike a Security Council resolution, it cannot be vetoed but would not be binding.
    The Syrian ambassador did not exclude that Assad's government would consider the proposals by the Arab Nations League.
    "If the conditions are acceptable (and will help us to) get out of this crisis - then why not? We welcome all efforts (to settle the crisis) no matter where they come from - from the Arab League, from our friends in Russia, from the Arab League, from any party," Haddad told journalists.
    The Arab League has also called for a joint U.N.-Arab peacekeeping force to be deployed in Syria and indicated members would be willing to arm the opposition - moves that have caused concern among Western powers eager to see the end of Assad's 11-year-rule but wary of a foreign military intervention which could spark a wider regional war.
    Assad has dismissed his opponents as terrorists backed by enemy nations in a regional power-play and said he will introduce political reforms on his own terms.
    Syrian state television reported on Wednesday that he had ordered a referendum on a new constitution on Feb. 26.
    That move is unlikely to appease the movement against him, which began with street demonstrations by civilians but now includes armed insurrection by the Free Syrian Army made up mainly of army defectors.
    The government says at least 2,000 members of its military and security forces have died and the United Nations says government forces have killed several thousand civilians.
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