Annan in new agreement with president of Syria
Source: Agencies |
July 10, 2012, Tuesday
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INTERNATIONAL envoy Kofi Annan tried to breathe new life into his peace efforts in Syria yesterday, saying he had reached a new framework with President Bashar Assad and would discuss it with rebel leaders soon.
Annan, the architect of the primary international plan to end Syria's 16-month-old crisis, arrived in Iran late yesterday for talks with leaders there. With the violence in Syria growing increasingly chaotic and diplomatic efforts faltering, Annan has said Iran, a staunch Syrian ally, must be a part of the solution.
"We agreed on an approach which I will share with the armed opposition," Annan told reporters following an earlier two-hour meeting with Assad which he described as "candid and constructive."
"I also stressed the importance of moving ahead with a political dialogue which the president accepts," he said. Annan did not disclose details of the framework reached.
Annan's efforts to broker an end to the Syrian conflict as the UN-Arab League envoy have unraveled as the uprising that began with peaceful protests in March 2011 has spiraled toward civil war.
In an interview with the French daily Le Monde on Saturday, Annan acknowledged that the international community's efforts to find a political solution to the escalating violence in Syria had failed. He said more attention needed to be paid to the role of Iran.
It is unclear what role Annan envisions for Iran, which has stood by Assad throughout the uprising. Tehran's close ties could make it an interlocutor with the government, though the United States has often refused to let it attend conferences about the Syria crisis.
Annan's six-point peace plan was to begin with a cease-fire in mid-April between government forces and rebels seeking to topple Assad, to be followed by political dialogue. But the truce never took hold, and almost 300 UN observers sent to monitor the cease-fire are now confined to their hotels because of the escalating violence.
"President Assad reassured me of the government's commitment to the six-point plan which, of course, we should move ahead to implement in a much better fashion than has been the situation so far," Annan told reporters.
State-run news agency SANA said Assad discussed with Annan "mechanisms" that could ease the violence in Syria and told him the success of his plan hinged on regional countries ending their support for "terrorism" in Syria.
Damascus blames Arab Gulf countries Saudi Arabia and Qatar for fueling the crisis in Syria by funding the rebels.
Russia said yesterday it would not sign new weapons contracts with Syria until the situation calms down.
But it said previously agreed exports would continue.
Annan, the architect of the primary international plan to end Syria's 16-month-old crisis, arrived in Iran late yesterday for talks with leaders there. With the violence in Syria growing increasingly chaotic and diplomatic efforts faltering, Annan has said Iran, a staunch Syrian ally, must be a part of the solution.
"We agreed on an approach which I will share with the armed opposition," Annan told reporters following an earlier two-hour meeting with Assad which he described as "candid and constructive."
"I also stressed the importance of moving ahead with a political dialogue which the president accepts," he said. Annan did not disclose details of the framework reached.
Annan's efforts to broker an end to the Syrian conflict as the UN-Arab League envoy have unraveled as the uprising that began with peaceful protests in March 2011 has spiraled toward civil war.
In an interview with the French daily Le Monde on Saturday, Annan acknowledged that the international community's efforts to find a political solution to the escalating violence in Syria had failed. He said more attention needed to be paid to the role of Iran.
It is unclear what role Annan envisions for Iran, which has stood by Assad throughout the uprising. Tehran's close ties could make it an interlocutor with the government, though the United States has often refused to let it attend conferences about the Syria crisis.
Annan's six-point peace plan was to begin with a cease-fire in mid-April between government forces and rebels seeking to topple Assad, to be followed by political dialogue. But the truce never took hold, and almost 300 UN observers sent to monitor the cease-fire are now confined to their hotels because of the escalating violence.
"President Assad reassured me of the government's commitment to the six-point plan which, of course, we should move ahead to implement in a much better fashion than has been the situation so far," Annan told reporters.
State-run news agency SANA said Assad discussed with Annan "mechanisms" that could ease the violence in Syria and told him the success of his plan hinged on regional countries ending their support for "terrorism" in Syria.
Damascus blames Arab Gulf countries Saudi Arabia and Qatar for fueling the crisis in Syria by funding the rebels.
Russia said yesterday it would not sign new weapons contracts with Syria until the situation calms down.
But it said previously agreed exports would continue.
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