SYRIA: International peace envoy Annan arrives in Damascus in a bid to revive failed peace plan

Record ID: 281007

  • Title: SYRIA: International peace envoy Annan arrives in Damascus in a bid to revive failed peace plan
  • Date: 8th July 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 8,2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAR CONVOY CARRYING U.N.-ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY KOFI ANNAN'S ARRIVING AT HOTEL VARIOUS OF HOTEL LOBBY ANNAN WALKING OUT OF LIFT SHAKING HANDS WITH A WOMAN, WALKING IN CORRIDOR AND WAVING, THEN SHAKING HANDS WITH DEPUTY SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FAISAL MEQDAD, AND ENTERS LIFT PEOPLE GATHERED IN CORRIDOR U.N. VEHICLE PARKED OUTS
  • Embargoed: 23rd July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: People
  • Reuters ID: LVAF2OSPAAGZDMPN7K8QTE16FG3F
  • Story Text: International peace envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Damascus on Sunday (July 7) a day after admitting that his peace plan had so far failed to end 16 months of bloodshed.
    Annan arrived with deputy Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad at the Dama Rose hotel in the capital, where United Nations observers have been staying since suspending their patrols because of a steep increase in the level of violence.
    Annan's spokesperson Ahmad Fawzi, said in a statement the envoy was expected to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    His visit comes as the U.N. Security Council prepares to debate the future of its supervision mission to the battered country.
    Annan has conceded that U.N. efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria so far had been a failure.
    The former U.N. secretary general told French daily le Monde in an interview published on Saturday (July 7) that Western criticism of Russia was diverting attention from the role of other countries in backing Assad and arming his soldiers, notably Iran.
    Russia and China say they are committed to Annan's peace plan that prescribes national dialogue, but reject the position of Western powers and their Gulf Arab allies that Assad must step down to enable reform in Syria.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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