UN / DE BENITO SECADES

Spain's Foreign Minister Gonzalo de Benito Secades said today that there was progress on Syria because of the strong support for the role of special envoy Kofi Annan and that it was of the utmost importance to stop the violence. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:32
• Production Date: 22 March 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DECOLONIZATION; TRUST TERRITORIES; APARTHEID; CULTURE
• Geographic Subject: SYRIA; SPAIN
• MAMS Id: U120322e

Description

STORY: UN / DE BENITO SECADES
TRT: 2.32
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SPANISH / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 22 MARCH 2012, NEW YORK

Shotlist

FILE – 2011, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

22 MARCH 2012, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, Spanish Secretary of State Gonzalo Benito de Secades approaches the microphone
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Gonzalo Benito de Secades, Secretary of State, Spain:
“As you all well know, everything that regarding our foreign affairs activities in the South Mediterranean, in the Maghreb countries, the countries involved in the so-called ‘Arab Spring,’ is of immediate concern. It has always been and it will continue to be so, and we believe that it’s of vital importance that the plan of the Alliance of Civilizations for the Mediterranean has visibility, impact and is efficient, and we believe to have an important role to play in this plan.”
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Gonzalo Benito de Secades, Secretary of State, Spain:
“You know what our government, our minister mentioned our position; we have for the last few years had discussions on Gibraltar - discussions that we have had for many years already - and our position is that in recent years the cooperation discussions were not efficient enough and some sovereignty issues were included in this forum. S we want to separate sovereignty discussions between the United Kingdom and Spain and cooperation issues that we would like to discuss with the United Kingdom, with the government of Gibraltar and with the authorities of the Spanish region close to Gibraltar.”
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Gonzalo Benito de Secades, Secretary of State, Spain:
“We see advancement. First, strong support for the role of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and it’s very important to reinforce his role because, as we have been insisting, as well as all the other friendly countries of the European Union, we have been insisting that it is essential to stop the violence. It is impossible to continue witnessing a scenario where the Syrian population suffers they way they are and this is a priority. And there is a clear message from the President of the Council in his statement and that’s: violence must stop and we must support Kofi Annan in his mission.”
9. Wide shot, Benito de Secades leaves journalists behind

Storyline

Spain’s Secretary of State Gonzalo de Benito Secades briefed journalists today (22 March) at the United Nations (UN) following his participation in a thematic debate on the Alliance of Civilizations.

Referring to a plan to bring the Alliance of Civilizations to the South Mediterranean, Benito de Secades said that Spain’s foreign affair activities with the countries involved in the so-called “Arab Spring” was of immediate concern for his Government.

When it came to discussion between Spain and the United Kingdom about Gibraltar, Benito de Secades said that his country’s position was that “in recent years the cooperation discussions were not efficient enough.”

Benito de Secades said the Presidential Statement issued yesterday (21 March) by the Security Council voicing support for the activities of Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League’s Joint Special Envoy to Syria, was a sing of progress. He stressed that it was of utmost importance to stop the violence there.