China, Italy, Iran Urge Political Solution to Crisis in Syria

CAPITALS- China has reiterated that the only realistic way for addressing the Syrian issue is to seek a political solution, according to the Chinese News Agency Xinhua.

The agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying on Thursday that China has paid high attention to the development of the situation in Syria and played a constructive role in resolving the issue politically.

“China believed that the future destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people themselves,” he said.

“The pressing problem is to urge all relevant sides to cease fire and stop violence as soon as possible and start the political transition based on the communique of the Geneva foreign ministers’ meeting of the Action Group,” he said.

“Any action taken by the international community, including the UN General Assembly, should be conducive to realizing the above goals while observing the principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing the international relations,” he added.

According to Hong, relevant countries recently tabled a draft resolution to the 67th UN General Assembly. “As with a number of UN member states, China showed serious concern over part of the contents of the draft resolution and thus demanded sponsor countries to take into full consideration the viewpoints of all relevant sides and not forcibly push forward the vote in order not to hamper a political solution,” he said.

As the sponsor countries had forcibly pushed forward the vote without fully communicating with all sides, China voted to oppose the draft resolution, he said.

He stressed that China sought no self-interest on the Syrian issue and had no intention to take sides.

“Should any solution by widely accepted by relevant sides in Syria, China would take a positive and open attitude toward it,” he said.

“We are willing to make joint efforts with the international community, including the Arab countries, to persist in the direction of political solution so as to solve the crisis in Syria with a fair, peaceful and proper manner,” he said.

The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution Wednesday, calling for a political transition in Syria. The resolution is not legally binding.

In the same context, Italy also called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria.

The Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino was quoted by the Italian News Agency AKI as saying in Rome that the diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria is the only way out and it must be adopted.

“There is a chance to solve the crisis diplomatically through holding Geneva Conference 2,” she said.

In Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that the unbinding UN resolution adopted against Syria yesterday, doesn’t contribute to solving the crisis in the country, but it will lead to further extremism among the armed terrorist groups which will commit more crimes against the Syrian people. It will also undermine all efforts aiming at attaining a political solution that ends the crisis.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqji said in a statement that the “UN resolution was issued within certain circumstances in which Syria and the entire region are in need for security and stability much more than any time before.”    

H. Mustafa