SWITZERLAND: International mediator Kofi Annan says the U.N. Security Council will decide in the next few days on what steps to take over Syria

Record ID: 281121

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: International mediator Kofi Annan says the U.N. Security Council will decide in the next few days on what steps to take over Syria
  • Date: 12th July 2012
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JULY 11, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE U.N. BUILDING U.N. FLAG FLYING INTERNATIONAL MEDIATOR KOFI ANNAN ARRIVING JOURNALISTS WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL MEDIATOR, KOFI ANNAN, SAYING: "We discussed the crisis, as you can imagine, in Syria, my recent trip to the region, and the outcome of the action group meeting here in Geneva.
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB8OFARCEFE7WQHJN5MQ16C27K
  • Story Text: The United Nations will decide their next actions in Syria in the next couple of days, international mediator Kofi Annan said on Wednesday (July 11), moments after briefing the Security Council by video-link on his trip to Syria, Iran and Iraq.
    "We discussed the crisis, as you can imagine, in Syria, my recent trip to the region, and the outcome of the action group meeting here in Geneva. The Council is now discussing what the next steps should be and what action they should take. So we should hear something from them in the next few days," Annan told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva.
    The former U.N. Secretary General has been on a lightning diplomatic shuttle this week to Damascus, Tehran and Baghdad.
    Annan, who has been insisting Iran should be involved in efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis despite the West's objections, said the Iranian government supported the idea of a Syrian-led political transition.
    In Baghdad, he also won backing from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who like Assad has close ties to Tehran.
    "In both Iran and Iraq, the governments committed to supporting the six point plan. They supported the idea of political transition, which will be Syrian-led and allow the Syrians to decide what their future political dispensation will be. Obviously, they are going to use their influence in talking to the government and the parties in moving in that direction," Annan said.
    However, when asked about President Bashar al-Assad's choice of a person to represent Syria in talks with the opposition, he gave a tepid response.
    "We discussed it. He did offer a name and I indicated that I wanted to know a bit more about the individual, and so we are at that stage," he said.
    Opposition leaders say there can be no peaceful transition unless Assad, who crushed popular protests from the moment they began, relinquishes power first. Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for 42 years, says he still has the backing of his people.
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