Sunday, September 29, 2013

International Conference on Syria to be Held in November

Moscow : Int'l conference on Syria to be held mid Nov. as agreed by UNSC permanent members

Sep 28, 2013

Moscow, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Ministry said that the meeting held between foreign ministers of UN Security Council's permanent members and the UN Secretary-General on Friday specified mid November as a date for holding the international conference on Syria in Geneva.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the conference is meant to launch direct dialogue between the Syrians with the aim of shaping the future of the state.

The statement stressed that all participants in the meeting agreed that the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on the chemical weapons in Syria offers opportunities for reviving the efforts exerted for political solution in Syria based on Geneva Communiqué agreed June 30, 2012.

the meeting also stressed that the UN Envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has to double up his efforts to work with representatives of the Syrian government and opposition and all sides concerned in this issue.

The statement added that Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, focused during the meeting on the necessity of ensuring the level of representation of the opposition in the international conference that can express the stances of wide groups of Syrian political forces in the framework of dialogue with the Syrian government as to reach national reconciliation.

Moscow: UNSC resolution on Syria is based on Russian-U.S. agreements

Russian Foreign Ministry said the UN Security Council resolution on dismantling the Syrian chemical weapons was based on the Russian-U.S. agreements reached in Geneva on the 14th of September.

The Ministry added in a statement issued Saturday that the resolution takes into consideration the Syrian government's decision to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention. "The resolution focuses on the major role of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)and includes support for its Executive Council's resolution on the measures for work inside Syria," said the statement.

It pointed out that the Security Council resolution also determines the general frameworks to contribute to the work through the UN organization and asks the UN Secretary General to put recommendations on tangible indications for cooperation with the OPCW, including issues of ensuring the safety of the international inspectors in Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted in its statement that the Security Council resolution includes terms demanding that the Syrian government and all opposition groups to optimally cooperate with the OPCW and the UN concerning the safety of the inspectors and providing them access to all chemical weapons sites.

The statement highlighted that the resolution stressed that the use of chemical weapons whether in Syria or anywhere else poses a threat to the world peace and security.

In light of this, the statement said, the resolution included condemnation of the chemical attacks which took place in Syria and a demand for continued investigation into all reports about alleged chemical weapons use in the country.

It added that the resolution called upon Syria's neighboring countries to not allow weapons of mass destruction and their transfer means falling into the hands of non-governmental parties.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also highlighted that the Security Council resolution stressed fully and for the first time the Geneva Communiqué of June of last year and underscores the need to fast-track holding the international conference on Syria to work on the implementation of the communiqué.

The Ministry's statement indicated that the Security Council decided that in case of non-compliance with this resolution, measures under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter would be taken, adding however that such measures would require another Security Council resolution.

The Ministry pointed out that Russia has backed this resolution based on its principled stance on the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria.

It added that Moscow hopes that the resolution will allow moving forward with the political diplomatic solution and lay the necessary legal foundation to carry out the missions of getting the chemical weapons in Syria placed under international control and later dismantled.

Pushkov: Resolution on Syria is completely different from that on Libya

Earlier, Chairman of the International Relations Committee at the Russian Duma Council Alexei Pushkov affirmed that the resolution is completely different from that on Libya in 2011, adding "the basic difference between the two resolutions is that the resolution on Syria doesn't state the use of force."

"The UN resolution on Syria won't allow the use of force, so it was unanimously adopted." Pushkov said on his Twitter web page.

F.Allafi/H. Said

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