JAPAN: Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun hints at non-political solutions if the Syrian ceasefire fails

Record ID: 280806

  • Title: JAPAN: Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun hints at non-political solutions if the Syrian ceasefire fails
  • Date: 11th May 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 10, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING JAPANESE FLAG JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER KOICHIRO GEMBA WELCOMING SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT BURHAN GHALIOUN GEMBA AND GHALIOUN SHAKING HANDS GEMBA AND GHALIOUN TAKING SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER KOICHIRO GEMBA SAYING: "Japan h
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2Q99XIBFSA6A1BTR3A56L6TAN
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun hinted on Thursday (May 10) at possible non-political solutions to the flailing Syrian truce as he secured further Japanese humanitarian aid to Syria.
    The leader of the Syrian National Council (SNC), which Japan recognises as "the official representative of all the Syrian people", met with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba.
    Gemba told Ghalioun that Japan was ready to donate additional humanitarian aid.
    "Japan has contributed $3 million (USD) of aid to Syria as we believe what is the most important is the humanitarian issues. We are also considering additional aid fund considering the recent situation in Syria," Gemba said.
    Gemba also urged an end to all violence in Syria. This follows U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's warning on Wednesday (May 9) of a worrying increase in bomb attacks in Syria.
    Ghalioun said they were looking beyond political solutions to the impasse.
    "I think we are all in agreement that if the Syrian regime does not really want a political solution we will have to go further and find other solutions to respond to this unwillingness to apply the Anan plan," he said, referring to UN-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.
    "The inability to apply Anan's plans by the Syrian authorities risks seeing the collapse of the international initiative on which everyone counted on to get Syria out (of it's current predicament)," he added.
    U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan also told the Security Council on Tuesday (May 8) that peace in Syria remains elusive nearly a month after a nationwide truce was announced, while Washington declared it was stepping up "non-lethal" aid to Syria's opposition.
    Annan also complained that there has been insufficient progress regarding humanitarian aid access to the 1 million Syrians in need of assistance.
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