Syrian Delegation Arrives at Geneva Airport to Participate in Second Round of Talks

The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Geneva II talks on resolving the security crisis inside the Middle Eastern state. No agreements were reached., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Syrian official delegation arrives at Geneva airport to participate in 2nd round of talks

Feb 10, 2014

Geneva, (SANA Delegate) _The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, has arrived at Geneva airport to take part in the 2nd round of talks in the context of the international conference on Syria 'Geneva 2.'

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Faisal Mikdad, member of Syria's official delegation to Geneva conference announced Friday that the delegation will participate in the second round of talks in Geneva scheduled on Monday.

The first round of Geneva talks started with an open session in the Swiss city of Montreux on January 22 with the presence of foreign ministers of a number of countries, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.

Talks then moved to Geneva where closed sessions took place during which discussions between Syria’s delegation and the Coalition delegation so-called “opposition” were held through Brahimi. The sessions continued through January 31.

Geneva talks came out with no tangible results and this was what Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Head of Syria’s delegation Walid al-Moallem stressed in a press conference he held in Geneva on the last day of talks.

M. Ismael


Shaaban: Geneva track problem is that “we don’t know whom representing those who came by the name of opposition”

Feb 09, 2014

Damascus, (SANA)-Presidential Political and Media Advisor Buthaina Shaaban said that the essential, big problem in the search for a political solution through Geneva track lies in the fact that “we don’t know whom representing those who came by the name of opposition, how many, and what is their relation to Syria.”

Shaaban told Al-Alam news TV in an interview that Syria’s official delegation went to Geneva, and goes today, in spite of the acknowledgment about the representation problem of the other side, because the official delegation doesn’t want to miss any opportunity to stop the bloodshed in Syria.

She added that the coalition delegation came to Geneva for discussing one word in a specified point of Geneva 1 communique; namely the rule, not the transitional rule body, otherwise, the Syrian official delegation wanted to discuss the communique, but with sequence starting from the first item on the halt of terrorism.

Shaaban said that the official delegation insists on discussing the halt of violence and combating terrorism in the second round of talks as this is the first item of the communiqué, then preserving the state institutions and finding a suitable environment for a political track before discussing the transitional ruling body.

She made clear that Geneva 1 communique is very clear which states for the importance of agreement on all points, adding that it is not allowed to make any constitutional vacuum.

Shaaban said there is no contacts with the US side who is still hesitant on selecting the track it wants to go through, affirming that the coalition delegation will return with the US instructions, adding that no one knows what is the US decision now regarding the crisis in Syria, while the Russian stance will not change because it is principled and depends on the international laws and legitimacy.

She affirmed that the political solution to the humanitarian file in Syria lies in the stop of the terrorist war against the Syrian people, holding those who finance, arm and support terrorism in Syria responsible for the suffering of the Syrians, adding that terrorists take the civilians as human shields, trafficking with their lives and sufferings.

Shaaban went on to say that Turkey and Qatar were the spearhead in the terrorist war against Syria before Saudi Arabia shouldered this mission, adding that these countries work with the orders of the US and the Brotherhood Government of Erdogan has behaved with a new Ottoman mentality.

She pointed out that the US latest decision to resume the arming of terrorist in Syria was not new, but the decision’s announcement at the time of holding Geneva 2 conference is the new issue, saying that the US administration is confused in dealing with Syria as it attempts to reach a decision after its failure to impose its will on Syria.

Shaaban added that the US doesn’t want to tell the world that its wagers in Syria have failed, as the US is interested in the image rather than reality and it tries to search for specific exits for this issue, but the firm convection at the US now is that it will not be able to impose its vision on Syria, so it turns a blind eye on Saudi Arabia which finances terrorism in Syria.

She concluded by saying that those attempts will fail because the supportive effort to terrorism in Syria is synchronized with accelerating reconciliations on the Syrian lands and with a special change in the mentality of the Syrians.

Mazen Eyon


Al-Zoubi: Syria national interests will remain governing behavior of official delegation to Geneva

Feb 09, 2014

Damascus, (SANA) - Information Minister, Omran al-Zoubi, stressed that exposing the identities of masterminds and perpetrators of the terrorist attack having targeted the building of the Public Authority for Radio and Television indicates that this criminal evil and terrorist aggression against Syria will be finished along with its masterminds, perpetrators and funders.

"Syria, the state, the people, the culture and civilization, will ever remain, and no side or power in the world could erase it," al-Zoubi clarified in an interview with al-Ikhbariya TV on Saturday evening.

"We commend the efforts of the relevant intelligence circles, which have been able to arrest the armed terrorist gang behind the bombing," he added.

A number of al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists on Saturday confessed the blowing up of two car bombs near the building of the Public Authority for Radio and Television in Damascus on October 13, 2013.

Al-Zoubi stressed that all areas in Syria have the same degree of priority for the Syrian government that cooperates in this regards with the coordinator of United Nations activities in Syria, pointing out that this issue has started in Homs and will move to other areas in the country.

"The coalition delegation had information regarding arrangements of the time executive plan between the Ministry of Social Affairs and the UN related to evacuating civilians from the old city in Homs, so it posed the issue of Homs in Geneva to score an achievement for itself," the Minister clarified. He added that the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic will head to Geneva once again with a collective spirit and a nationalistic responsibility for creating a political track that would lead to concrete outcomes that make all sides satisfied.

"We headed to Geneva despite we had not taken part in formulating Geneva1 Communique, and we attended with high seriousness and credibility…we wanted to go ahead with the other delegation despite it represents neither the coalition nor other factions of the opposition, and that is because we called for a common ground…the other delegation, nonetheless, rejected all the national principles," al-Zoubi clarified.

The Minister stressed that the higher national interests of Syria will remain governing the behavior of the Syrian official delegation, as pursuit should remain available for producing an inter-Syrian dialogue under Syria's leadership that, in turn, comes out with a solution that could be applied in Syria with a Syrian will and in accordance to the Syrian people's referendum.

"We insist on the political process and the political track, which is not an easy task, but we will exert great efforts to leave the door open for producing such a political solution," he added.

Al-Zoubi stressed that Saudi Arabia funds, arms and supports terrorists of all world's nationalities, as it also hosts and finances media channels that incite terrorism and acts of killing.

"Saudi Arabia has centers in Jordan supervised by Emirs who reside there to feed terrorism in Syria…if it does not stop doing such acts, its tendency to punish Saudis heading to fight abroad will be meaningless," he clarified. The Minister considered the Saudi decision as an attempt to beautify what is deformed regarding the Kingdom's role in supporting terrorism all over the world, particularly in Syria.

R. Milhem / Ghossoun