Mr. Ban announced last night that he had invited Iran to attend the conference’s opening in Montreux, Switzerland, on Wednesday after Foreign Minister Javad Zarif assured him that his country understands that the basis of the talks is full implementation of an action plan adopted in the so-called Geneva Communique of 2012, which calls for a transitional government to lead to free and fair elections.
“The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by Iranian public statements today that are not at all consistent with that stated commitment,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, said in a statement at UN Headquarters in New York.
“He continues to urge Iran to join the global consensus behind the Geneva Communiqué. Given that it has chosen to remain outside that basic understanding, he has decided that the one-day Montreux gathering will proceed without Iran’s participation.”
Mr. Nesirky’s statement said Mr. Ban has consistently maintained that regional partners with influence on the Syrian parties should do their part in promoting implementation of the action plan, including setting up a transitional governing body with full executive powers, and stressed that he has tried to ensure that “all those who can contribute to the success of a Syrian peace process be present in Montreux to express their solidarity and support for the Syrian people.”
Earlier today, media reports indicated that Syria’s political opposition said it would withdraw from the talks unless Mr. Ban retracted the invitation to Iran, while the US suggested it could support Iran’s participation if it explicitly declared support for the action plan.
“During the brutal conflict of the past three years, the Syrian people have experienced horrendous suffering, humanitarian shortages and human rights abuses,” the statement read out by Mr. Nesirky said. “The Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 remains the internationally agreed framework for ending the crisis.
“It is the basis on which the global community will gather on Wednesday in Montreux, Switzerland, and the foundation for the negotiations between the Syrian parties that will begin on Friday in Geneva. Throughout the Syrian conflict, the Secretary-General has sought to do everything within his power for a political solution, which is the only path forward.”
The Secretary-General said he looks forward to joining the initiating parties, Russia and the US, as well as some 40 other States and organizations that will attend “this long-awaited and hugely important push for peace. “The Syrian parties, the region and the international community have an opportunity and a responsibility to end the violence and begin a transition towards a new Syria,” the statement concluded.
un.org
20/1/14
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Syrien-Gespräche: Ban lädt Iran wieder aus...
ReplyDeleteUNO-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon hat den Iran von Friedensgesprächen zu Syrien im Schweizer Ort Montreux wieder ausgeladen. Grund sei die Weigerung Teherans, die Genfer Einigung über eine politische Lösung aus 2012 zu akzeptieren, die einen "globalen Konsens" darstelle, sagte ein Bans Sprecher am Montag. Der Iran lehnte zuvor jegliche Vorbedingungen ab.
Die syrische oppositionelle Nationale Koalition bestätigte nach der Ausladung, an den Verhandlungen am Mittwoch teilzunehmen........http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1551341/SyrienGespraeche_Ban-laedt-Iran-wieder-aus?from=rss
20/1/14
Genève II: l'avion de la délégation syrienne bloqué à Athènes...
ReplyDeleteL'avion transportant la délégation officielle syrienne en route pour Montreux (Suisse), où doit s'ouvrir la conférence sur la Syrie, est bloqué depuis trois heures à Athènes.
Selon une source officielle, les autorités grecques "refusent de fournir du carburant" à l'appareil.
La source a précisé que "l'avion se trouvait toujours sur le tarmac de l'aéroport, contrairement aux déclarations du ministère des Affaires étrangères grecques".
http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/1063518/geneve-ii-l-avion-de-la-delegation-syrienne-bloque-a-athenes
21/1/14
Russian FM says UN revoking Iran's Geneva-II invitation a mistake....
ReplyDeleteMOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN's decision to withdraw Iran's invitation to the Geneva-II meeting on Syria was a mistake, but not a catastrophe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
"The interests of the cause essentially require the representation of Iran, like all the other countries of the region," Lavrov said during his annual press conference.
"In this case, we are speaking about a one-day event on Jan. 22, to which some 40 foreign ministers from different states, including the most remote regions, have been invited," Lavrov said.
Lavrov cited U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who earlier said Iran must play an important role in the search for generally accepted ways of settling the Syrian crisis.
The Russian foreign minister said Iran's absence at Geneva-II would not facilitate defeating terrorism in the Muslim world, nor provide unity of the Muslim world.
"Terrorism is a threat to us all, Muslims including," Lavrov said, adding Moscow had consistently warned of the danger of a split in the Muslim world, which would bring about catastrophic consequences.
He said the situation that occurred when the international peace conference on Syria was organized did not add authority to the UN.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon initially invited Iran to Geneva-II but later revoked the invitation, saying Tehran had failed to confirm its adherence to the Geneva-I communique.
Meanwhile, Lavrov said Russia was trying its best to "promote political settlement" of the Syrian crisis.
"We are satisfied with the fact that reasonable approaches based on the logic of peace and basic principles of international law prevailed," he said, adding Russia was against unilateral actions, including attempts to use force bypassing the UN Charter.
http://english.cntv.cn/20140121/104404.shtml
21/1/14
UN under fire by Assad allies before Geneva 2....A retracted invitation for Tehran to participate sends peace talks into disarray before inauguration......
ReplyDeleteIran and Russia, the key backers of the embattled Syrian regime, have condemned the United Nations' retraction of an invitation made to Tehran to take part in the Geneva 2 peace talks, a day before the event begins.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday that the invitation was made after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country was on board with the Geneva I communique, on which the upcoming talks would be based, and that it would play a "constructive and positive role" in the three-year Syria crisis, if it was to participate.
Iran denied these claims.
"We never asked to take part, we always had the same stance all along, which was clearly expressed and we let our position be known," Marzieh Afkham, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told reporters on Tuesday.
"If the UN changed its mind about the invitation, it's regretful, simply because the secretary-general is under pressure.".............http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/01/un-under-fire-assad-allies-before-geneva-2-201412183648270195.html
21/1/14
Медведев назвал "недопустимым" отзыв приглашения Ирана на "Женеву-2"...
ReplyDeleteПредседатель правительства России Дмитрий Медведев назвал "абсолютно недопустимой вещью" ситуацию с отзывом приглашения на конференцию по Сирии для Ирана.......РИА Новости http://ria.ru/politics/20140121/990516019.html#ixzz2r4BIWR9h
21/1/14
Turkey's PM urges U.N. to take action after Syria photos...
ReplyDeleteTurkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to take decisive steps regarding the Syrian crisis, following the release of several thousand photos documenting war crimes committed by Syria's Assad regime.
Speaking at a joint press conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, Erdogan stressed that Turkey was extremely disturbed by the Syria photos.
The photos, which document war atrocities, were published on Monday by leading news agencies, including the Anadolu Agency, alongside a report by forensic experts.
The 55,000 photographs purportedly revealed evidence of systematic torture by the Syrian regime. They were taken by a former Assad official over a two year period.
Erdogan added: "They show how serious the savageness, massacre, and genocide (in Syria is). I wish to reiterate from Brussels that mankind must take immediate action and the necessary steps in the face of the developments in Syria."
Erdogan also noted that any inaction would amount to a failure of responsibility by the international community.
The Geneva II conference, scheduled to convene on Wednesday, aims to end the ongoing and escalating violence in Syria...............http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/277364--a
21/1/14
WASHINGTON: A report on the torture and killing of thousands of detainees in Syria are horrific and suggest systematic violations by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.......
ReplyDelete"These reports suggest widespread and apparently systematic violations by the regime," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. "These most recent images ... are extremely disturbing. They're horrible to look at."
A Syrian military police photographer has supplied "clear evidence" showing the systematic torture and killing of about 11,000 detainees in circumstances that evoked Nazi death camps, former war crimes prosecutors said.
Harf said the report on the killings underscores the importance of making progress on an agreement that will get a political transition in place and bring an end to the bloodshed.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-21/244844-us-says-reports-of-killings-in-syria-suggest-widespread-systematic-violations.ashx#ixzz2r4QOX78A
Lavrov says conference must end 'tragic conflict,' Iran should be consulted ....
ReplyDeleteMONTREUX, Switzerland - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was the main task of the Syria peace conference that opened in Switzerland on Wednesday "to achieve an end to the tragic conflict" and prevent a spillover to other countries in the region.
Lavrov, in his opening remarks, called on "external players" not to meddle in Syria's internal affairs. He said the internal political opposition should be part of a Syrian national dialogue, and that Iran, not present at the talks, should be part of the international dialogue.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Lavrov-says-conference-must-end-tragic-conflict-Iran-should-be-consulted-338986
22/1/14
Kerry: No way Assad can be part of new gov't in Syria ....
ReplyDeleteUS Secretary of State John Kerry said during opening statements at the Geneva 2 summit that there is no way current Syrian President Bashar Assad can be part of a new transitional government.
Kerry added that Assad cannot regain legitimacy to govern in Syria.
The peace summit opened on Wednesday morning in Montreux, Switzerland and is being attended by high level diplomats from around the world.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Kerry-No-way-Assad-can-be-part-of-new-gov-in-Syria-338984
22/1/14
La Syrie fera tout pour se défendre (Damas)....
ReplyDeleteLa Syrie fera tout son possible pour se défendre malgré les déclarations de certains représentants de la communauté internationale, a prévenu mercredi le chef de la diplomatie syrienne Walid Mouallem lors de l'ouverture de la conférence de Genève-2 à Montreux.
"La Syrie est un Etat indépendant et fera tout ce qu'elle juge nécessaire pour se défendre sans prêter attention à certaines déclarations de la communauté internationale et à d'autres Etats. Telle est la décision de la Syrie et de son peuple", a souligné le ministre.
Par ailleurs, M.Mouallem a appelé ceux qui soutiennent et arment l'opposition dans son pays à cesser de le faire.
"Ils tiennent à présent une conférence pour le bien du peuple syrien, tout en décrétant des sanctions, assiégeant la Syrie et soutenant les terroristes. Si vous vous préoccupez effectivement de la situation humanitaire en Syrie, laissez-nous faire, cessez d'approvisionner les terroristes en armes, levez les sanctions et occupons-nous de politique, et tout ira bien alors en Syrie", a conclu le ministre.
La conférence de Genève-2, réunissant le pouvoir et l'opposition syriens à une même table de négociations, a débuté le 22 janvier à Montreux, sur le lac Léman. Ce forum a pour but d'apporter une solution à la crise qui secoue la Syrie depuis près de trois ans.
http://fr.ria.ru/world/20140122/200280467.html
22/1/14