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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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01Nov12
Moscow and Paris Failed to Agree on the Syrian Liberated Areas
The exact reason for the recurring meetings between the French ministers of defense and foreign affairs and their Russian counterparts has yet to be revealed.
This strategic partnership that brings together the four ministers around the same table, sometimes in Paris and other times in Moscow, remained a fuzzy issue for the journalists who were present in the conference room at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris, the headquarters of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
The majority of the questions focused on what was agreed upon at the Geneva conference, which they see as the only opportunity for a settlement between the West and Russia regarding the Syrian crisis.
Journalists realized that their long wait to hear about a solution for Syria would be in vain, as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov hurled scathing remarks at each other regarding the last article of the Geneva agreement.
Lavrov had previously held a meeting with members of the Friends of Syria group on June 30. However, the two senior officials do not seem to be on the same wavelength regarding Assad's role in any future transitional government. While Fabius believed that Assad must step down once a Syrian executive body that includes opposition and pro-government members is formed, Lavrov held that the settlement issue would not be undermined if Assad were to be part of the transitional power structure.
Both Fabius and Lavrov demonstrated a slick diplomatic ability to refresh each other's memories, after they had, for several months, repressed their disputes over personal views concerning the forgone Geneva agreement.
"I remember well that we went to Geneva and we signed the agreement together. In light of this agreement, we agreed that no solution is possible in Syria unless Assad steps down," Fabius said.
In turn, Lavrov replied, "In Geneva, we discussed the first draft of the agreement with our Western partners, specifically the clause stating that whoever is currently leading the country must not be present in the new Syria. However, this clause was not included in the final draft of the agreement.
"We agreed with France that the rights of minorities and the sectarian balance should be preserved in Syria. This is the balance that was set by France during the French mandate for Syria," he added.
In response, Fabius blamed Russia for keeping Assad in power, saying that "the conflict will drag on as long as Assad remains in power, and the solution will become even more difficult if he stays. The Syrian opposition has grown more sectarian and has started to attract foreigners to Syria, and therefore the coexistence between Syria's segments has become more challenging. There is no solution in Syria as long as Assad remains in power. However, institutions should remain steadfast so that the Iraqi scenario won't play out in Syria."
Lavrov replied that "the Syrian people must determine the fate of their own country. We have already demanded that the government appoint representatives to negotiate with the opposition, and it did. However, the opposition rejected this proposal and stated that it does not want to be part of any negotiations based on the Geneva agreement."
Lavrov reminded the West that it failed to turn the agreement into a binding solution at the UN Security Council, saying, "The West rejected the agreement and Americans tried to set a deadline for its implementation, which would undermine its chances for success. Some of our Western parties are unfortunately not motivated by practical considerations but ideological ones. Should the West not change its position, the bloodbath is going to persist in Syria."
The "liberated zones" were also a bone of contention between the two officials. Fabius described these liberated areas "as the spots on the skin of a leopard: some are seized by the opposition and others are no longer controlled by the regime. We are helping civilians by delivering humanitarian aid directly to the beneficiaries so that it will not be wasted - this is France's approach to work for and help precipitate the fall of the regime," in a bid to prevent chaos from prevailing in Syria.
Lavrov, on the other hand, did not see the liberated areas the same way.
"It is rather a chessboard. In Aleppo, for instance, the regime and opposition are exchanging control over the district. However, for there to be liberated areas, they must be occupied in the first place, which is not the case in Syria. This is not to mention that there are many mercenaries flocking in from neighboring countries," he said.
When asked his opinion regarding some neighborhoods in Damascus that are being bombed by Russian MiG warplanes, the Russian minister replied: "Throughout decades, the countries of the region have been accumulating weapons, be it Russian, American, French and other. These arms were used in many locations.
"We ought to be realistic in order to stop the bloodshed in the Syria. The governments must retaliate if terrorist attacks continue, which is not an order we impose on any government. It is just the cycle of violence. The retaliation may not be appropriate, as we have witnessed in many places. Therefore, the violence must come to an end."
[Source: By Mohammad Ballout,Translated by Sahar Ghoussoub, Almonitor, 01Nov12. Original by As-Safir, Lebanon]
 | This document has been published on 05Nov12 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |