FRANCE: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says he will propose making Kofi Annan's Syria plan obligatory by using Chapter 7 provision at the U.N.

Record ID: 280874

  • Title: FRANCE: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says he will propose making Kofi Annan's Syria plan obligatory by using Chapter 7 provision at the U.N.
  • Date: 14th June 2012
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 13, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE FABIUS ADDRESSING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS SAYING: "So we need to go much faster in the Security Council and put the objectives of the Annan plan under Chapter 7 -- tha
  • Embargoed: 29th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAAB2KAF9WEL51GJQAZBYNDKWJ
  • Story Text: France will propose making United Nations envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan for Syria obligatory by invoking the U.N.'s "Chapter 7" provision, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday (June 13).
    Fabius said he hoped Russia would agree to using Chapter 7, a measure which can authorise the use of force, and he said that a no-fly zone was another option under discussion.
    "So we need to go much faster in the Security Council and put the objectives of the Annan plan under Chapter 7 -- that's to say make them obligatory -- with the threat of very strong sanctions. Remember that the Annan plan involves stopping violence, the withdrawal of the army from the towns, the transportation of humanitarian aid, in other words everything that would make possible the advance of a political transition in Syria and the departure of Mr Bashar al-Assad," Fabius told a news conference in Paris.
    France would propose toughening sanctions on Syria at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers, he said.
    "This time we need sanctions which will touch not only Bashar al-Assad and his entourage, but also army leaders and all of Assad's support," he added.
    He said the international community would prepare a list of second-ranking military officials who would be pursued by international justice, alongside President Bashar al-Assad and his immediate entourage.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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