Italy, Germany Support International Conference on Syria

CAPITALS,(ST)_ Italy ‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs Emma Bonino stressed  the need to provide support “in all its forms” for the efforts of foreign ministers John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov to hold an international conference on Syria, “Geneva 2”.

Bonino told the  Italian newspaper La Repubblica issued on Thursday that “no military solution to defuse the crisis in Syria, : adding that the risk of military explosion , must be avoided.”

“Any act of mediation without the contribution of Iran as one of the key regional players  will  make it difficult to see the light even for the UN,” she said.

Bonino  continued that “politics  should  talk within the framework of the Geneva 2 , and it is also necessary to stop  the flow of weapons”, saying that “the process will  be gradual and difficult” and the  “goal is to achieve the formation of a transitional government and  members of the Syrian government should be to be part of this process.”

” Geneva 1  approach should be adopted  and Geneva 2 to mark the  beginning of a new peace process,” adding, “we also need to know the steps that must be taken by Europe clearly “.

Meantime,  German Foreign Minister Guido Fastervelleh on Thursday called on  the Syrian opposition to give up  its decision to boycott international peace conference on the conflict in Syria.

AFP  quoted the  German Foreign Minister, who is visiting Ottawa as saying: “A viable political process is the best opportunity to resolve the crisis in Syria.”

In a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart John Baird, the German minister added that : ” all parties in Syria and  the international community must do what they can to support the  achievement of this  political process.”

For his part,  the Canadian Foreign Minister said  that if a political solution to be achieved , the two  the parties should  sit at the  table of negotiations.

T. Fateh