SWITZERLAND: Spokesman for Kofi Annan says the International mediator hopes to convene a meeting of an international contact group on Syria soon

Record ID: 280961

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: Spokesman for Kofi Annan says the International mediator hopes to convene a meeting of an international contact group on Syria soon
  • Date: 13th June 2012
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JUNE 12, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF UNITED NATIONS NEWS BRIEFING AHMAD FAWZI, SPOKESMAN FOR JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA KOFI ANNAN, SPEAKING AT NEWS BRIEFING / CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESMAN FOR JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA KOFI ANNAN, AHMAD FAWZI, SAYING: "As you all know that idea has been floated about a week or two ago by
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVA2SS9AO1ZTOOY7FTARMZL10TDF
  • Story Text: U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan hopes to convene a meeting of an international contact group on Syria soon although no venue or list of participants has yet been set, his spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said on Tuesday (June 12).
    Annan was encouraged by international support for the idea of such a group, according to Fawzi, and the meeting would aim to strengthen implementation of his six-point peace plan rather than developing a new plan.
    "As you all know that idea has been floated about a week or two ago by Mr. Annan himself, and he is encouraged by signs that member states are taking it very seriously. In fact we have heard that the Russians are calling on member states with influence to get together. We hope that this conference, this contact group meeting will take place soon, but a venue and a time and a list of participants is yet to come together. It's coming together, and as I said, diplomacy has intensified," Fawzi told reporters at a news briefing in Geneva.
    The core of Annan's proposal is the establishment of a contact group that would bring together Russia, China, the United States, Britain, France and key regional players with influence on Syria's government and the opposition, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Iran. Western countries have dismissed the idea of Iran's participation in such talks on allegations of providing heavy backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    By creating such a contact group, Annan will also be trying to break the deadlock among the five permanent council members that has pitted veto powers Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France and prevented any meaningful U.N. action on the Syrian conflict, envoys said.
    He also warned that the level of sectarian violence seen in the country in the recent weeks was "escalating" and could spill over to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon.
    "On the question of sectarian violence, yes we have seen the spectre of sectarianism rising in Syria, and that is precisely what the Joint Special Envoy had been warning against and the Secretary General and others, that the longer this violence continues, the more dangerous it becomes for not only the country and the Syrian people, but the region. And the sectarian nature that is emerging, we see it spilling over into Lebanon as well. It's dangerous, and the red light is flashing," Fawzi said.
    Annan presented the U.N. Security Council on Thursday (June 7) with a new proposal in a last-ditch effort to rescue his failing peace plan for Syria, where 15 months of violence have brought the country to the brink of civil war.
    The main point of Annan's proposal, envoys said, is to get Russia to commit to the idea of a Syrian political transition, which remains the thrust of Annan's six-point peace plan, which both the Syrian government and opposition said they accepted earlier this year, but have failed to implement.
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