Moscow urges UN observers to stay
Moscow believes the UN observers in Syria should continue their work there, as a withdrawal of the mission would cause “extremely negative consequences”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
The format of the mission could be changed, but it shouldn’t be fully curtailed, as the UN presence in Syria serves as an important source of first-hand information in the conflict- torn country, the ministry’s information department told the Interfax News Agency.
“We support an extension of the UN observer mission’s mandate in Syria. Its format may be modified to fit the current situation in the country,” the ministry said.
The UN Supervision Mission in Syria was extended for a final 30-day mandate in July. Cutting the 300-observer mission into half was part of the extended mandate.
The UN Security Council will hold consultations this week on the mission’s extension, which is due to expire again on Monday.
Russia admitted the Security Council members have different stances on this issue. “The final decision will depend on whether the UN Security Council members manage to reach a consensus on the extension,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Russia also said on Wednesday it would not let Western powers “sabotage” the political transition accord to end the escalating conflict in Syria that was reached in Geneva at the end of June.
“We are convinced that what was accomplished in Geneva should not be sabotaged,” the Interfax quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on a visit to Belarus.
“We will be trying to get an answer out of them (Western states), because they are not implementing it.”
Buffer zone
There are serious legal and practical obstacles to setting up a buffer zone or a no-fly zone in Syria, Turkish newspapers on Wednesday quoted the US ambassador to Ankara as saying, after the two countries discussed the issue over the weekend.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Aug 11 that the United States and Turkey were looking at all measures to help Syrian rebel forces fighting to overthrow President Bashar al- Assad, including a no-fly zone.
A NATO- led no- fly zone and bombing campaign helped Libyan rebels overthrow Muammar Gadhafi last year.
But the United States and its European allies have been reluctant to take an overt military role in Syria’s 18-monthold conflict.
US ambassador Francis Ricciardone said that issues such as setting up a no- fly zone or a buffer zone in Syria were easy to discuss but hard to realize.
“Of course we should evaluate these issues. However, our discussions of these issues with Turkey should not suggest we are making commitments to set up these zones,” Ricciardone was reported as saying by the newspaper Taraf.
“There are serious legal and practical obstacles on this issue,” he was quoted as saying. “We will work on the subjects of a transition phase and buffer zone within the UN Security Council in line with international law.”
Clinton told reporters after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday that their countries needed to get into detailed operational planning on how to assist the rebels and bring a halt to the violence.