U.N. sees strong chance for Syria deal, but warns on partition risk

Record ID: 898735

  • Title: U.N. sees strong chance for Syria deal, but warns on partition risk
  • Date: 10th July 2017
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JULY 10, 2017) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, ARRIVING FOR NEWS BRIEFING DE MISTURA DURING NEWS BRIEFING CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "We consider it a significant development and a step forward into the de-escalation of an area which - and here is my comment - was becoming increasingly a potentially dangerous flashpoint. The agreement, which has started as you know, is basically broadly holding quite well. I know, in all these agreements, there is a period of adjustment, we are watching that very carefully, there has been incidents at the very beginning, there has been some sporadic incidents, but we can still say, and we believe, that it has fairly good chances of working out." PHOTOGRAPHER AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "This de-escalation process needs, however, to be considered as interim - let me underline the word interim - and with a clear understanding that it is not going to undermine ultimately the Syrian national unity, territorial integrity. Otherwise, this means partition, and I know this is something that no one, at least people we talk with, would like to see." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "We are not expecting therefore breakthroughs, because we are part of all this, and we want to be supportive of this, but some incremental development, yes, as we have seen for Astana, and we are doing a lot of homework, and we plan to do it during these days, so they can be used at the right time, and it could be much earlier than we may be thinking, when in fact the regional, political and global scenarios will allow this to actually become the Geneva Conference." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "When two super powers, Russian Federation which is an ally of (Syrian) President (Bashar al-) Assad, and the United States of America, agree fundamentally at that level in trying to make that ceasefire work, there is a strong chance that that will take place. Secondly, I don't think anyone is in doubt about the fact that every country, sitting in Hamburg by the way, from China to the United States, from India to... are concerned about Daesh, Al Qaeda. And therefore, regardless about who had been doing or done something in Syria, this is clearly now a unifying priority." JOURNALISTS UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2017 18:38
  • Keywords: Staffan De Mistura United Nations Geneva peace talks UN on Syria deal Syria ceasefire UN warning partition risk
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016P4YURR
  • Story Text:
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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