- Title: Germany's Merkel sceptical about no-fly zone in Syria
- Date: 27th September 2016
- Summary: VARIOUS OF MERKEL AND RAZAK RECEIVING MILITARY HONOURS
- Embargoed: 12th October 2016 13:16
- Keywords: Merkel Syria no-fly zone Deutsche Bank Malaysia elections
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00251CD64N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday (September 27), while condemning the violence in Syria as "unacceptable", said she was sceptical that a no-fly zone could be enforced, given the situation there.
"Given the way the situation is at the moment, I'm skeptical that we can enforce a no-fly zone right now," Merkel told reporters after a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Nijab Razak.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had called for a temporary no-fly zone for military aircraft in Syria to last up to seven days following the bombing of an aid convoy near Aleppo on Sept. 19. U.S. President Barack Obama has repeatedly rejected such proposals.
Asked during the news conference if Berlin was concerned about Deutsche Bank and considering assistance for the lender after making clear it needed no state aid with a $14 billion U.S. demand to settle claims it miss sold mortgage-backed securities, Merkel said:
"I only want to say that Deutsche Bank is a part of the German banking and financial sector. And of course we hope that all companies, also if they face temporary problems, can develop in the right direction."
"I don't want to comment beyond that," she added.
Najib Razak underlined during the joint news conference with Merkel that Malaysia would do its best to cooperate with the U.S. probe of misappropriations from a state-owned fund.
"It must be predicated on the basis that we have good policies in Malaysia, we are delivering for the benefit of the people and we are the best government to lead Malaysia into the future," he said.
Razak's government was jolted in July, when U.S. prosecutors filed several civil lawsuits over money allegedly defrauded from 1MDB. The lawsuits repeatedly referred to a high ranking official, only identified as "Malaysian Official 1", who received more than $700 million of the misappropriated funds.
The prime minister has denied any wrongdoing in the scandal. He has tightened his grip on the ruling party, and used harsh security and sedition laws to stifle critics in the mainstream political opposition and suspend media groups and blogs. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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