Syrian FM heads to China to discuss UN cease-fire
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E-mail Xinhua, April 16, 2012
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem will arrive in China on Monday for a two-day visit that aims to brief Beijing about Damascus' efforts regarding the cease-fire brokered by international envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jihad Makdissi said.
The minister's visit came just a day after a five-member advance team of UN observers arrived in Damascus to monitor the cease-fire initiated by Annan, the UN and Arab League joint envoy to Syria.
On Saturday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved the observers' mission. The team will be backed with other batches of observers over the next period, and the total number of observers may eventually reach 250.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the adoption of the resolution, which is the first legally-binding UN document since the outbreak of the crisis in the Middle East country in March 2011.
Russia and China, which had vetoed two previous UN resolutions forcing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, called on all parties to support Annan's mediation and cooperate with the advance team.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, called on all parties to "establish favorable conditions including from the standpoint of ensuring security" for the UN observers.
"It is essential that all Syrian parties including the armed opposition quickly refrain from violence, strictly observe the Annan plan, and begin to organize a broad-based negotiating process," Churkin said.
Meanwhile, Chinese UN Ambassador Li Baodong said Saturday that "We need to guard against any attempt to create difficulties or trouble for Mr. Annan's mediation."
In an editorial, the local Tishrin newspaper said that Damascus is "satisfied" with the UN resolution to send observers to the country "because it comes in the context of respecting the Syrian sovereignty and is in Syria's interest."
The paper added that Syria feels comfortable also because the resolution has shouldered all parties the responsibility of halting armed violence with all its forms.
"This is a clear-cut international recognition of the crimes and assaults committed by armed groups," said the report, which also reasserted Syria's commitment to working with the observers team and implementing the content of the latest UN resolution.
Last week, Moallem has met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
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