Russia’s Lavrov Stresses No Solution in Syria without Iran

Russian Foreign Minister, Srgei Lavrov highlighted Iran’s role in resolving the ongoing conflict in Syria, saying that the settlement of the crisis gripping the Arab country has “no prospect” without Iran.

No elections can be held in Syria while the country is gripped with terrorism (Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem)

Syria's government will not be able to hold elections or amend the constitution until the country defeats terrorism, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a political discussion held within the framework of the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

Syrie/rebelles: une menace pour l'Europe (diplomate)

Les pays européens, dont la Grande-Bretagne, commencent à se rendre compte que leur soutien aux rebelles syriens constitue une menace pour leur propre sécurité, a déclaré lundi le vice-ministre syrien des Affaires étrangères Fayçal Moqdad dans une interview au quotidien Guardian.

"Ils (les pays européens) sont conscients dans leur for intérieur qu'ils ont commis un grave crime contre le peuple syrien. Ils pensaient que le régime allait chuter en quelques semaines, mais leur comportement a stimulé le terrorisme à l'intérieur de la Syrie et mis en danger la sécurité des pays européens eux-mêmes.

Pentagon: US merchant vessel Cape Ray starts destroying Syrian chemical weapons

The process of destruction of chemical weapons taken out of Syria kicked off on Monday on board the US merchant vessel Cape Ray, specially modified for such purposes, in the Mediterranean Sea, US Department of Defense spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren said Monday.

Warren said the destruction of warfare poisonous agents will take about 60 days. The exact terms will also depend on weather conditions, he said.

Obama meets Syrian opposition leader in show of support

US President Barack Obama met with the leader of Syria's main rebel group on Tuesday, in a display of US support to the moderate opposition in the war-torn country.

On Tuesday afternoon, Obama joined National Security Advisor Susan Rice's meeting with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmad Jarba and the Coalition delegation, the White House said.

US condemns Syrian offensive in Homs. - Damascus launched the advance to retake remaining rebel-held areas

By Michael Hernandez, WASHINGTON D.C.-
The Obama administration strongly condemned a Syrian government offensive on Friday that has ignited intense clashes with rebel groups in the besieged city of Homs.
Damascus launched the advance to retake remaining rebel-held areas in the central Syrian city on Tuesday. 
The advance ended a tenuous ceasefire in the city brokered in February between rebels and the government as a result of the first round of Geneva peace talks. 

Sponsors of Syrian opposition create new organization – Lavrov

Sponsors of Syria’s opposition are setting up a new organization that will bring together the groups that have withdrawn from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

MOSCOW, February 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Sponsors of Syria’s external opposition are setting up a new organization to place a stake on the military scenario again, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed.

Kerry blames al-Assad regime for Syria talks breakdown

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry blamed the breakdown of the Syria talks in Geneva on the ‘obstruction’ by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, according to Agence France-Presse.
“None of us are surprised that the talks have been hard, and that we are at a difficult moment, but we should all agree that the al-Assad regime’s obstruction has made progress even tougher,” Kerry said.

U.N. envoy for Syria apologizes for lack of progress

GENEVA. -U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said Saturday that the Syrian government had rejected a proposal to start a third round of peace talks by focusing on violence and terrorism on the first day, with a second day spent discussing a transitional governing body.
"Unfortunately the government has refused, which raises the suspicion of the opposition that in fact the government doesn’t want to discuss the TGB at all," Brahimi said in a press conference on the last day of the second round of Syria peace talks. He spoke in a U.N. Office in Geneva.

Syria Opposition Urges Russia Not to Block UN Aid Resolution

GENEVA, February 14 (RIA Novosti) – Syria’s main opposition group in exile has called on Russia not to block a draft UN Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid supported by Arab and Western nations.

The draft document submitted to the UN last week by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan would impose sanctions on Syria if it does not comply with demands to enable the supply of aid within 15 days.

“The document is necessary to save the lives of Syrians and to help moving forward the political process,” Syrian National Coalition spokesman Louay Safi said Friday.

Syrian minister says UN aid chief's comments "absolutely unacceptable"

GENEVA - Syria's government is doing its best to improve humanitarian aid access, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Friday, a day after United Nations aid chief Valerie Amos urged the UN Security Council to act to improve access.
"While we have done our best and will continue to do our best, I think some of her statements were absolutely unacceptable," Mekdad told a news conference in Geneva.

France's Hollande: "Turkey's EU membership talks must continue with transparency, respect and bona fide."

Turkey is hoping to avoid any political obstacles in the discussion regarding its EU membership process, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul said Monday.

During a press conference
with France's President Francois Hollande, Gul said: "The negotiation period is a technical process that includes the adoption of legal, economical, democratic, and judicial norms. Our main desire is that this process would not be blocked by political reasons."

When Hollande was asked if he had changed his mind on supporting Turkey's EU accession, Hollande said that Turkey's accession to the EU is not on the country's agenda right now, pointing out that only 14 chapters have been confirmed since 2004.

Syrian government, opposition representatives now meeting together with UN mediator

GENEVA  - A UN spokeswoman says delegations from the opposing sides in Syria's brutal civil war are now meeting in the same room with UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi.

The opposing sides had previously been negotiating through go-betweens. But UN spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said Saturday they were now meeting directly.

Brahimi, an Algerian diplomat, is a veteran UN negotiator and troubleshooter. 

Hollande asks Vatican to receive Syrian opposition

French President Francois Hollande asked Pope Francis receive a delegation from Syria's main opposition groups on Friday to the Vatican, AFP reported.
Hollande is currently on a diplomatic visit to Rome.
"I expressed my desire that the Vatican could host the Syrian National Coalition," Hollande announced after the meeting.

Syria says will leave if no "serious sessions" at Geneva. -U.N. confirms that Brahimi to hold separate talks with Syrians (video UN)

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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem was quoted by state television on Friday as telling international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi that if no serious work sessions were held by Saturday, the government delegation would leave.

Brahimi and a Syrian government delegation met on Friday at the United Nations in Geneva, a witness said, and the mediator is due to meet the Syrian opposition delegation later on Friday. State television said the meeting was characterised by a "positive atmosphere."

Syrian Sides Are Committed to Peace Talks, Planning Prisoner Swap. -The peace negotiations are expected to last between seven and 10 days

MONTREUX, January 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia, the United States and the UN are devising a plan for a prisoner swap between the two sides in war-torn Syria, Russia’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
An exchange of prisoners should increase mutual trust between the government and the opposition, Sergei Lavrov said on the first day of a long-awaited conference on Syria’s civil war.
Direct negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition are set to go ahead on January 24, Lavrov said. The peace negotiations are expected to last between seven and 10 days.

Turkish FM: Criticism against Turkey from Syrian regime unacceptable

After today's meeting - Geneva II peace talks - the sides are defined between the Syrian regime and the Syrian National Coalition.

 

MONTREUX,  by Betul Yuruk

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The criticisms made against Turkey by the Syrian regime today on the first day of Geneva II peace talks in the Swiss city of Montreux on Wednesday are 'unacceptable', said Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem accused the Syrıan National Coalition (SNC) of violations such as treason, looting and espionage and accused Turkey of standing by the terrorists. 

Βενιζέλος : Η σημερινή έναρξη της διαδικασίας Γενεύη ΙΙ προσφέρει ένα μοναδικό παράθυρο ευκαιρίας για πολιτική επίλυση της συριακής κρίσης

Παρέμβαση Αντιπροέδρου και ΥΠΕΞ Ευ. Βενιζέλου στη Συνδιάσκεψη Γενεύη ΙΙ για τη Συρία (Μοντρέ, 22.01.2014) 

ΥΠΕΞ, Τετάρτη, 22 Ιανουάριος 2014

Ακολουθεί κείμενο παρέμβασης Αντιπροέδρου και ΥΠΕΞ Ευάγγελου Βενιζέλου στη Συνδιάσκεψη Γενεύη ΙΙ για τη Συρία (Μοντρέ, 22.01.2014):

«Η Ελλάδα, χώρα της ευρύτερης περιοχής με παραδοσιακούς δεσμούς φιλίας με τον συριακό λαό, είναι σήμερα εδώ, μετά από πρόσκληση του Γενικού Γραμματέα των Ηνωμένων Εθνών κ. Μπαν Κι-Μουν, για να στηρίξει και να ενθαρρύνει τις δύο πλευρές να προχωρήσουν μπροστά στο μονοπάτι της ειρήνης.

Ban opens Syrian peace talks, urges all sides to seize ‘historic’ opportunity to end bloodshed.- video UN

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22 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today opened a concerted new effort to end the brutal civil war in Syria, urging the Government, the opposition, and representatives of some 40 other countries and regional organization to seize the historic opportunity to end the bloodshed.
“After nearly three painful years of conflict and suffering in Syria, today is a day of fragile but real hope,” he told the opening session of the high-level segment of the United Nations peace conference on Syria in Montreux, Switzerland.

Syrian FM misses meeting with Ban Ki-moon due to peace talks plane delay in Athens

The Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has missed a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon due to the fact that the plane carrying the Syrian delegation was blocked at Athens’ airport, the Syrian SANA news agency reports. The meeting was set to take place ahead of the Geneva-2 conference.

According to the news agency, the plane with the Syrian delegation on board made an en-route stopover in Athens and, owing to the problems with refueling, spent there four hours before flying off to Switzerland.

SANA notes that Greek officials apologized to the Syrian delegation for "unintentional delay".