BELGIUM: NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says NATO will not intervene in Syria despite deteriorating situation but supports efforts by international community to find a peaceful situation

Record ID: 860768

  • Title: BELGIUM: NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says NATO will not intervene in Syria despite deteriorating situation but supports efforts by international community to find a peaceful situation
  • Date: 23rd April 2013
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (APRIL 23, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF NATO HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES / NATO FLAGS OUTSIDE HEADQUARTERS NATO ALLIANCE MEMBERS' FLAGS OUTSIDE HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA57HMIOU62NAF6XZI6S95YOW1C
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  • Story Text: NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday (April 23) the alliance would not intervene in Syria despite the threat the conflict poses to the security situation on NATO's south-eastern border.
    Rasmussen made the statement during his opening remarks at a meeting of foreign ministers of 28-member alliance in Brussels.

    "Currently, the situation on NATO's south-eastern border continues to deteriorate. And while NATO does not intend to intervene in Syria, it does fully support efforts undertaken by the international community to put an end to this bloodbath and to find a peaceful solution," Rasmussen said.
    The ministers are meeting to discuss a host of international security issues, including winding down NATO's combat mission in Afghanistan, efforts to de-escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula and the worsening conflict in Syria where state media reported that two bishops had been kidnapped by rebels on Monday.
    The two bishops, who had warned of the threat to religious tolerance and diversity from the two-year conflict in their country. Several prominent Muslim clerics have been killed in Syria's uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, but the two bishops are the most senior church leaders caught up in the conflict which has killed more than 70,000 people across Syria.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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