UN Security Council backs Kofi Annan’s proposal on Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - The previously divided UN Security Council sent a strong and united message to the Syrian government and opposition on Wednesday, March 21 to immediately implement proposals by international envoy Kofi Annan to end the yearlong bloodshed, AP reported.

A nonbinding statement approved by the 15 council members and read at a formal meeting spells out Annan’s proposals which include a cease-fire first by the Syrian government, a daily two-hour halt to fighting to evacuate the injured and provide humanitarian aid, and inclusive Syrian-led political talks “to address the legitimate concerns of the Syrian people.”

In a bid to win support from Russia and China, which have twice vetoed European and U.S.-backed resolutions condemning President Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protesters, France watered down the statement to eliminate possible consideration of “further measures” which could include sanctions or military action.

Instead, the presidential statement now asks Annan to update the council regularly on the progress of his mission and says that “in the light of these reports, the Security Council will consider further steps as appropriate.”

A presidential statement, which needs approval from all council members, becomes part of the council’s permanent record. It is stronger than a press statement, which does not. But unlike resolutions, neither statement is legally binding.

The governments of the 15 council nations had been given until 9 a.m. (1300 GMT) Wednesday to raise any objections to the text of the statement. No country did so.

Russia and China had called the earlier resolutions unbalanced, saying they demanded an end only to government attacks, not ones by the opposition. Moscow also argued that the resolutions promoted regime change in Syria and expressed fear of outside intervention to support the rebels, as happened in Libya.

“The most important (thing) is that there are no ultimate demands there, there are no threats, and no theses which would predetermine who carries more guilt,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of the statement in Berlin, where he met his German counterpart.