Kerry concedes U.S. must talk to Assad to end war

The United States will have to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the civil war now entering its fifth year, Secretary of State John Kerry conceded in an interview that aired Sunday.

US’s Obama, Rice meet Syria opposition chief

By Michael Hernandez (Anadolu Agency)
WASHINGTON D.C.
U.S. President Barack Obama and National Security Advisor Susan Rice met with Ahmad Jarba, the Syrian Opposition Coalition President, at the White House to reaffirm their support for Jarba and his allies Tuesday.
During their meeting, Obama welcomed the opposition’s leadership, while encouraging “the Coalition to further its vision for an inclusive government that represents all of the people of Syria,” according to a readout of the meeting provided by the White House.

Syria opposition leader urges anti-aircraft missiles

Head of the Syrian opposition coalition Ahmed Jarba has called for providing the opposition fighters in Syria with anti-aircraft missiles, asserting that no political breakthrough would be possible unless there is a "military progress" on the ground.

Jarba's call came during a late Monday meeting with U.N.-Arab League envoy on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Kuwait, where both are due to attend the Arab League summit, that would kick off Tuesday.
During the meeting, Jarba blamed the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad for the "failure" of Geneva II talks earlier this year.

Extremist groups cause problems in Syria – Russian FM

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday blamed extremist groups for problems in Syria.

MOSCOW, February 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday blamed extremist groups for problems in Syria.
“As for statements that the United States will increase their pressure on Damascus: if political pressure is meant, then we have always supported the United States in working directly with the Syrian authorities,” Lavrov said.

2nd round talks of Geneva II "hasn't failed": Syrian FM

DAMASCUS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem said Sunday that the second round of talks in the Geneva II conference hasn't failed, according to the official SANA news agency.
"The second round of talks hasn't failed, thanks to the awareness of the Syrian negotiator when we agreed to the agenda of the international mediator (Lakhdar Brahimi)," al-Moallem told SANA.
The second round negotiations of the Geneva II international conference on Syria concluded on Saturday noon without achieving tangible results, UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said earlier.

Geneva Conference and Situation in Syria. -Press Statement, John Kerry, Secretary of State.

Washington, DC.

-"There's no recess in the suffering of the Syrian people, and the parties and the international community must use the recess in the Geneva talks to determine how best to use this time and its resumption to find a political solution to this horrific civil war.
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 Assad regime’s obstruction has made progress even tougher. It was an example to all the world that while the regime obstructed and filibustered, the opposition demonstrated a courageous and mature seriousness of purpose and willingness to discuss all aspects of the conflict.

Second round of Geneva II concludes without tangible results: Brahimi

GENEVA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The second round negotiations of the Geneva II international conference on Syria concluded on Saturday noon without achieving tangible results, said UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.

Brahimi said a proposed agenda for the next round of talks was agreed between delegates of the Syrian government and the opposition, but did not reveal the exact date.

‘No progress to speak of’ as first round of UN-sponsored Syrian peace talks ends. -The establishment of a transitional governing body

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31 January 2014 – Syrian Government and opposition delegates today wrapped up what United Nations officials hope will be just the first stage of talks to end the country’s civil war, with the chief mediator reporting no breakthrough to stop the “unspeakable suffering” of the Syrian people, including access for humanitarian aid.

Syrie: achèvement de la première rencontre pouvoir-opposition à Genève

La première rencontre entre les délégations du gouvernement syrien et de l'opposition anti-Assad avec la participation de l'émissaire de l'Onu et de la Ligue arabe pour la Syrie Lakhdar Brahimi s'est achevée à Genève, a annoncé samedi à RIA Novosti une source au sein de la délégation de Damas.

"La rencontre n'a duré qu'un quart d'heure. Seul M.Brahimi est intervenu", a déclaré l'interlocuteur de l'agence.

Et d'ajouter que le chef de la délégation gouvernementale, le ministre syrien des Affaires étrangères Walid Mouallem n'avait pas participé au premier round de négociations.

UN mediator to meet separately with Syria sides (video UN: Geneva Press Briefing)

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GENEVA - United Nations mediator on Syria Lakhdar Brahimi will meet separately with delegations of the Syrian government and opposition on Friday in Geneva, opposition sources said.

The opposition will not meet with the delegation led by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem until it endorses the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012 calling for a transitional governing body to be established, one opposition delegate said.

Syrie: cesser les livraisons d'armes aux belligérants (Ban Ki-moon)

Le secrétaire général de l'ONU Ban Ki-moon a appelé mercredi la communauté internationale à cesser les livraisons d'armes en Syrie et a souligné que le règlement militaire du conflit dans ce pays était impossible.

"J'appelle tous les pays qui livrent des armes en Syrie, arrêtez-vous s'il vous plaît", a déclaré M. Ban Ki-moon lors d'une conférence de presse à l'issue du forum de Montreux.
Le secrétaire général a souligné que le conflit syrien n'avait pas de solution militaire.

UN chief to Syrian FM at conference: Stop talking / Ban opens Syrian peace talks, urges all sides to seize ‘historic’ opportunity to end bloodshed.- video UN

Speech at opening session of Geneva peace conference ran long, leading to terse exchange with Ban Ki-moon.

The bell ran five times during Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem's speech Wednesday at the opening session of the Syrian peace conference, signaling he had exceeded the time limit.

Genève II - La télévision syrienne diffuse le discours de l'opposition avec des images de "crimes"

La télévision syrienne a diffusé mercredi le discours du chef de l'opposition Ahmad Jarba à la conférence de paix en Suisse en montrant en parallèle des images présentées comme des "crimes terroristes".

La télévision n'a pas mentionné son nom et n'a pas repris en bandeau ses propos comme elle l'a fait pour la plupart des autres intervenants lors de la conférence qui s'est ouverte à Montreux. Elle a laissé le bandeau avec les propos du ministre syrien des Affaires étrangères Walid Mouallem, qui intervenait avant lui. L'écran était divisé en deux: à droite le discours d'Ahmad Jarba avec la mention "Montreux, Suisse" et à gauche des images de morts et de destruction avec le titre "Crimes terroristes en Syrie". Elle a usé du même procédé lors des interventions des ministres des Affaires étrangères de Turquie, Ahmet Davutoglu, et d'Arabie saoudite, Saoud al-Fayçal. Ces deux pays sont les principaux soutiens aux opposants au régime de Bachar al-Assad. 

ΥΠΕΞ: Συμμετοχή Αντιπροέδρου της Κυβέρνησης και ΥΠΕΞ Ευ. Βενιζέλου στη Συνδιάσκεψη Γενεύη ΙΙ για τη Συρία (Μοντρέ, 22.01.2014)

ΥΠΕΞ, Τετάρτη, 22 Ιανουάριος 2014

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Ο Αντιπρόεδρος της Κυβέρνησης και Υπουργός Εξωτερικών Ευ. Βενιζέλος βρίσκεται στο Μοντρέ, όπου μετέχει στη Συνδιάσκεψη Γενεύη ΙΙ για τη Συρία, την οποία συγκάλεσε ο Γενικός Γραμματέας του Οργανισμού Ηνωμένων Εθνών κ. Μπαν Κι-Μουν.

Πριν την έναρξη της Συνδιάσκεψης, ο κ. Μπαν Κι-Μουν, σε συνάντηση που είχε με τον κ. Βενιζέλο, τον ευχαρίστησε για τη χθεσινή παρέμβασή του, προκειμένου να ανεφοδιασθεί και να αναχωρήσει από την Αθήνα προς τη Γενεύη το αεροσκάφος που μετέφερε την συριακή αντιπροσωπεία.

Plane of Syrian delegation delayed in Greece

A plane carrying the Syrian delegation to the Geneva peace talks was “prevented from refueling” after it landed at Athens airport, the state television reported.
The delegation’s plane landed at Athens international airport and was prevented from refueling,” Syrian television said, adding that all airspace permissions had previously been granted for the flight.
An official Syrian source confirmed to report to AFP. “The plane carrying the official Syrian delegation has been blocked for three hours at Athens airport because the Greek authorities refuse to provide it with fuel,” the source said.

Ban withdraws Iran’s invitation to Syria talks, saying its statements contradict assurances

20 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today withdrew his invitation to Iran to attend a United Nations conference on ending the nearly three-year-old Syrian civil war, voicing “deep disappointment” that Iranian public statements were totally inconsistent with oral assurances he had been given. 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.

Syria's National Coalition says UN chief to make statement on Iran. -Video:UN Central Emergency Response Fund Allocations for Syria Crisis

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ANKARA - Syria's main political opposition in exile said on Monday it would decide whether to attend the Geneva 2 conference in Switzerland after an announcement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Iran's attendance at the talks.

"It is expected that the Secretary-General of the UN will be holding a press conference during the next few hours in order to show the position of the United Nations from the invitation sent to Iran to attend Geneva 2," the National Coalition's statement said. "The Coalition will send its final position on the basis of the statement of the Secretary-General."

U.S. official: Iran not eligible for Syria talks

The United States is in talks with the United Nations over the surprise invitation of Iran to attend to the Geneva II peace conference on Syria and expects the invite to be rescinded, a U.S. official said Monday.

Iran has “never endorsed the Geneva I communique” which calls for a transitional government in Syria and “we expect the invitation will be rescinded,” a senior State Department official said.
The United States earlier said the United Nations should withdraw the invitation unless Iran, a key backer of President Bashar al-Assad, gives “explicit” support to the conference aim of setting up a transitional government in Syria.

Συμμετοχή Αντιπροέδρου της Κυβέρνησης και ΥΠΕΞ Ευ. Βενιζέλου σε Διάσκεψη Γενεύης για τη Συρία (Μοντρέ, 22.01.2014). -Ελληνικό ΥΠΕΞ

Ελληνικό ΥΠΕΞ, Δευτέρα, 20 Ιανουάριος 2014

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Κατόπιν προσκλήσεως του Γενικού Γραμματέα του Οργανισμού Ηνωμένων Εθνών, Ban Ki-moon, ο Αντιπρόεδρος της Κυβέρνησης και Υπουργός Εξωτερικών, Ευάγγελος Βενιζέλος, θα μεταβεί στο Μοντρέ της Ελβετίας, προκειμένου να συμμετάσχει, την Τετάρτη 22 Ιανουαρίου 2014, στη Συνάντηση Υψηλού Επιπέδου, με την οποία θα εκκινήσει η Διάσκεψη της Γενεύης για τη Συρία (Γενεύη ΙΙ).

Ο Μπαν Κι-μουν κάλεσε και την Αθήνα στην ειρηνευτική διάσκεψη για τη Συρία.

Η Ελλάδα είναι ανάμεσα στις χώρες που προσκάλεσε ο γενικός γραμματέας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών, Μπαν Κι-μουν, για να συμμετάσχουν στην ειρηνευτική διάσκεψη για τη Συρία, που θα πραγματοποιηθεί στην Ελβετία, την Τετάρτη. Η Ελλάδα φέρεται ότι έλαβε την πρόσκληση, αφενός επειδή προεδρεύει της ΕΕ για το πρώτο εξάμηνο του έτους, αφετέρου λόγω του ειδικού ρόλου που διαδραματίζει στην ευρύτερη περιοχή. 
Ειδικότερα, σε συνέντευξη Τύπου που παραχώρησε στην έδρα του ΟΗΕ, σήμερα το πρωί (ώρα Ελλάδας), ο γγ. του ΟΗΕ ανακοίνωσε ότι έχει αποφασίσει να στείλει ορισμένες «πρόσθετες προσκλήσεις» για τη διάσκεψη στο Μοντρέ.