Brussels, 04/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - European Council President Herman Van Rompuy called on Monday 4 June for the EU and Russia to “combine our efforts … and to find common messages on which we agree”, despite “some diverging assessments” on what needs to be done in Syria. “We need to work towards an immediate stop of all forms of violence in Syria, and towards process of political transition”, he added. Van Rompuy stated that the EU and Russia “fully agree that the Annan plan as a whole provides the best opportunity to break the cycle of violence in Syria, avoiding a civil war, and in finding a peaceful lasting solution”. He said the situation in Syria was “appalling”.
During his visits to Germany and France on 1 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin remained firm on his country's position, dismissing any UN sanctions against the regime and blaming the deaths of civilians on the opposition. “How many civilians have died at the hands of the other side, for example at the hands of the so-called opposition fighters? Have you counted this loss? It also comes to hundreds of people. … Our aim is to bring peace between the sides”, he said in Paris. He also denied that Russia had provided the regime with arms. “Russia does not supply arms that can be used in a civil conflict”, he stated in Berlin.
Rebels take up arms again.
The Syrian rebels are no longer committed to the UN-brokered peace plan which has failed to bring an end to the violence in the country and have launched attacks against government forces, one of its spokespersons announced on Monday, referring to the statement made on 31 May that, from 1 June, they would take up their arms once again if the plan was not implemented. “We decided to end our commitment (to the plan) and from that date (Friday) we began to defend our people”, the spokesperson said, adding that the opposition wants the observation mission to become a “peace-reinforcing mission” or the international community to take “bold” decisions and impose a no-fly zone and a buffer zone to weaken Assad.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon repeated that the Annan plan remained “central” to resolving the crisis and that there had been no discussion of military options.
On Sunday, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton also argued that “any further militarisation of the conflict will bring enormous suffering to Syria and risks having a dramatic impact on the region”. She said that “we are currently at a critical point” in the crisis. “After 15 months of bloodshed, no efforts should be spared to immediately stop all forms of violence and start a political process. We need to avoid a catastrophe. Violence and repression cannot be the solution”, she added. (CG/transl.rt)