China, Germany Reiterate Need to Attain Political Settlement in Syria

BEIJING, (ST) China and Germany have reiterated support for attaining political solution to the crisis in Syria.

 The Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was cited by Reuters as saying following his talks with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing on Thursday that a political settlement should be found to the crisis in Syria and that the urgency of resolving the conflict there was rising.

“The most important thing is to seize the opportunity to implement a political resolution and set up an equal, inclusive and open political dialogue,” Li told reporters, adding that world leaders had made suggestions about how to improve the situation in the Middle Eastern country.

China has repeatedly asserted that political solution is the only way out of the crisis in Syria.

Li expressed his country’s concern over the refugee crisis in Germany and Europe in general, but said that “China believes that Europe has the ability to overcome this challenge.”

On her part, Merkel said “we need a diplomatic political solution in Syria…It is urgent to find one.”

For Merkel it is crucial to find a way to end the political impasse in Syria as Germany struggles to handle its large influx of migrants, many of whom are refugees fleeing terrorism in Syria.

Merkel is making an official visit to China from Thursday to Friday. It is her eighth visit to China since 2005 in the capacity of chancellor.

Hamda Mustafa