UN chief calls for 'reduction of violence' in Syria
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E-mail Xinhua, October 2, 2012
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| UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem, reiterating his call for "the reduction of violence" in Syria to pave the way for a political process. |
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday met with Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem, reiterating his call for "the reduction of violence" in Syria to pave the way for a political process.
During the meeting, "the secretary-general noted that reduction of violence could prepare the government for a political process," said a readout from Ban's spokesman.
Ban stressed to Walid Al-Moualem that "it was the Syrian people that were being killed everyday," and the UN chief "appealed to the government of Syria to show compassion to its own people," the readout said.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, which is slated to conclude here later on Monday.
Ban has long called for a political resolution to the Syrian crisis, rather than further militarization of the situation.
Ban "expressed deep frustration that, after 19 months of repression and fighting, the situation was still getting worse," it said.
The UN/Arab League Joint special representative to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said last week he has no plan yet to end the crisis.
Meanwhile, Ban and Al-Moualem also discussed the growing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East country, which is beginning to spill over into neighboring countries.
The United Nations has estimated the number of refugees fleeing from Syria could top 700,000 by the end of the year.
However, the UN readout did not disclose what the Syrian deputy prime minister said during his meeting with the secretary-general.
Earlier on Monday, Al-Moualem, while speaking at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly, accused the United States and its allies, who make up part of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, of supporting terrorism in the Middle East country "under the pretext of humanitarian intervention" and " under the pretext of the 'Responsibility to Protect.'"
He also slammed the Western countries of their calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign, as "a blatant interference in the domestic affairs of Syria."
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