Geneva-2: Assad will not step down - Syrian Information Minister
22 January 2014, 16:59
Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on Wednesday that President Bashar al-Assad will not step down, as demanded by some of the international powers seeking to end the country's protracted conflict.
'Assad isn't going,' Omaran Zoabi told journalists on the sidelines of UN-sponsored face-to-face peace talks in the Swiss resort of Montreux.
First day of Geneva-2 productive – Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has hailed the first day of the Geneva-2 peace conference on Syria in the Swiss town of Montreux as productive.
Those were very important and constructive talks, Ban said.
He thanked the participants and stressed that more discussions were ahead.
The UN chief voiced hope that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry would continue to play an active part in promoting peacemaking efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Syria.
Delegations from both the Syrian government and the opposition attended Geneva-2's opening in Montreux on Wednesday.
The Montreux meeting will be followed by Syrian dialogue at the UN Geneva headquarters with UN and Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi acting as a mediator.
'No one, Mr Kerry, has right to withdraw legitimacy from Syrian gov't' - Foreign Minister
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem chided Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday after the American diplomat ruled out any role for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a new government.
'Saudi Arabia will not send a single terrorist to Syria if banned to do so by the US but the US does support terrorists in Syria,' he told reporters on Wednesday.
'On the one hand, it is taking part in Geneva-2, on the other, doing something else,' he added.
Geneva-2: Russia was a sincere friend, it upheld all the international laws and conventions - Syrian FM
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has thanked Russia for its support and commitment to international laws when addressing the Syrian conflict, Voice of Russia's correspondent Ksenia Melnikova says.
Melnikova has quoted Mr. Muallem as saying at the ongoing Montreux peace talks in Switzerland that Russia was always a 'sincere friend' of Syria's and 'upheld all the international laws and conventions.'
At the same time, the Syrian foreign minister accused the so-called 'moderate' rebel groups of lacking moderation in their fight against the Assad administration.
'Where is the moderation in 'moderate' groups?' he asked. '[They] are carrying out terrorist attacks disguising their activities as counterterrorism… This is the real truth. Those who do not see this truth are blind. Is this the Syria you want?'
Muallem said that as a Syrian living on the Syrian soil he had a right to address the peace forum and give the 'Syrian version' of the conflict.
The minister stressed that the Syrian people had resisted the revolution from the very beginning. He also vowed that the country wouldn't be torn by this turmoil forever – and the Montreux talks were to play a role in this.
'Syria will not remain this way. We have come here to put an end to this barbarism. We are here to protect the civil state. We are here to protect the cradle of civilizations. We are here to protect the Christians of the East,' Muallem said.
Russia's Lavrov warns outsiders against disrupting Syria peace talks
Moscow hopes all external players involved in the Syrian conflict will refrain from attempts to predetermine the outcome of the Geneva-2, as well as any steps capable of disrupting the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
'We hope that all external players will encourage Syrians to reach an accord, to refrain - and to prevent the sides - from attempts to predetermine final agreements, from other steps capable of disrupting the negotiating process,' he said at the opening of the Geneva-2 international conference on Syria.
Russia stands for involving Iran in the implementation of the Geneva communique and opposes attempts to interpret that document.
'It is necessary to engage Iran in the common efforts towards the fulfillment of the Geneva communique devoid of attempts to interpret it either way,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said .
'The essence of this document is that issues related to the future of Syria must be resolved by the consent of the government and the opposition,' he said.
The humanitarian aid for Syria should not be a pretext for undermining the political dialogue, Lavrov said.
'Obviously, the humanitarian aid, just like the other aspects of the situation in Syria, must not become a subject of speculation and be used for putting forward artificial demands and undermining the political dialogue,' Lavrov said at the Geneva-2 conference opening.
'I'd like to express my gratitude to the parties that convened for Geneva-2. Our common task is to end the suffering in Syria,' Russian FM added.
'We are convinced that the transformation is going to be effective if it is purely political, without the use of force. I call upon all the players to abide the international law. There can be no solution found through the use of force, dialogue is the only way,' Sergei Lavrov said.
Syrian FM accuses Turkish gov't of worsening situation around Syria
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has accused the government of Turkey of worsening the situation around Syria. He has stated this today at the opening of the Geneva-2.
'Syria has received a stab in the back from its neighbors,' Muallem said. 'The Erdogan government has allowed terrorists into our land.'
Voice of Russia, Reuters, TASS, Interfax, RIA, AFP
Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_01_22/Assad-will-not- step-down-Syrian-Information-Minister-1571/
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