Syrian president ready for honest effort to solve crisis
March 11th, 2012 - 12:51 am ICT by IANSDamascus, March 10 (IANS) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Saturday stressed that his country was ready to make any honest effort to solve the recent domestic unrest, state-run SANA news agency reported.
Al-Assad made the remarks during a meeting with Kofi Annan, the joint special envoy of the UN and Arab League for Syria, who arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus earlier in the day to mediate in the year-long crisis.
The Syrian leader told Annan that “any political dialogue can’t succeed as long as there are armed groups, which foment anarchy and destabilize the country through targeting civilians, military personnel and smashing public and private properties”, Xinhua quoted the SANA report as saying.
On his part, Annan stressed his “commitment to work in a just, even-handed and independent way”, and his “rejection of any foreign interference in Syrian affairs, as well as his belief in peaceful solution”, it said.
Annan expressed hope to work with the Syrian government to launch a diplomatic dialogue to restore stability to Syria and achieve the Syrian people’s aspirations.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that Annan’s priority was to immediately halt all fighting by government forces and opposition fighters. If not simultaneously, then first by government troops and followed by the opposition.
Last month, the UN and the Arab League jointly appointed Kofi Annan as a special envoy to handle the year-long crisis in Syria.
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Tags: arab league, ban ki moon, bashar al assad, domestic unrest, government forces, government troops, honest effort, kofi annan, military personnel, opposition fighters, peaceful solution, political dialogue, president bashar, private properties, syrian capital damascus, syrian government, syrian leader, syrian president bashar al, un secretary general, xinhua