10 December 2012 | 14:36

Arab League hopes US, Russia reconcile on Syria

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi hoped on Sunday that the United States and Russia could reconcile their views over Syria in order to facilitate a settlement of the crisis in the war-ravaged country, AFP reports. "Talks between the United States and Russia along with the international envoy (Lakhdar Brahimi) continued in Geneva today," Arabi told a meeting of the Arab ministerial committee on Syria held in Doha. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday met her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and Brahimi in Dublin. Clinton said there had been no "great breakthrough" during those talks, but said there would be further meetings between officials. Arabi said the aim of the US-Russian talks was to "prepare a resolution for the (UN) Security Council" over the Syrian crisis. "This resolution will send a clear message to the (Damascus) regime that it is no longer protected." Russia, along with China, is one of the last supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has routinely blocked draft Security Council resolutions condemning his rule. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani described as "unacceptable" the inaction of the Security Council over Syria, where more than 42,000 people have been killed in violence since March 2011, watchdogs say. "We hope that the ongoing meetings between the United States and Russia will lead to a common approach... for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities" regarding the Syrian crisis, the Qatari premier said.

Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi hoped on Sunday that the United States and Russia could reconcile their views over Syria in order to facilitate a settlement of the crisis in the war-ravaged country, AFP reports. "Talks between the United States and Russia along with the international envoy (Lakhdar Brahimi) continued in Geneva today," Arabi told a meeting of the Arab ministerial committee on Syria held in Doha. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday met her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and Brahimi in Dublin. Clinton said there had been no "great breakthrough" during those talks, but said there would be further meetings between officials. Arabi said the aim of the US-Russian talks was to "prepare a resolution for the (UN) Security Council" over the Syrian crisis. "This resolution will send a clear message to the (Damascus) regime that it is no longer protected." Russia, along with China, is one of the last supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has routinely blocked draft Security Council resolutions condemning his rule. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani described as "unacceptable" the inaction of the Security Council over Syria, where more than 42,000 people have been killed in violence since March 2011, watchdogs say. "We hope that the ongoing meetings between the United States and Russia will lead to a common approach... for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities" regarding the Syrian crisis, the Qatari premier said.

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