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STORY: UN / SYRIA
TRT: 3:33
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 26 SEPTEMBER 2018, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UNHQ exterior
26 SEPTEMBER 2018, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, conference room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European Union:
“We Europeans are willing to contribute to the reconstruction, but a political solution must be underway. Most Syrians don’t want to go back to a country where there is no accountability and where political detainees are still in jail. The people of Syria ask for the end of the war and for a negotiated political solution and this would be, we believe, the only realistic basis for a sustainable peace because military victory does not necessarily imply winning the peace.”
4. Wide shot, dais
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria:
“It is precisely now, when we have stepped back from the confrontation in Idlib that we should be saying let us put this real political process in place and build some confidence building around it. Frankly, dear friends, the Syrian people have the right to expect that especially at this moment. And there is no doubt at all that if that process was moving and was genuinely delivering it would help unlock many many other things. That is why everyone will look now to see if this constitutional committee can move in October; not in Christmas, not next year, in October.”
6. Wide shot, conference room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister, Iran:
“Peace dividends help Syrians come to end the war, victory dividends help continue the war. I believe is it important for all of us to start helping Syrians as they go back to their homes. Voluntary repatriation of Syrians to their original homes, not to resettlement areas, is an important requirement that we all need to start helping right now as it is taking place following the liberation of certain areas from terrorist occupation.”
8. Wide shot, dais
9. SOUNDBITE (English) James Jeffrey, United States Special Representative for Syria:
“A future Syria will need reconstruction funding, but the Assad regime should get no help to rebuild Syria until it in on the path of genuine political reform in line with United Nations Security Council resolution 2254. We must thus speak with one voice, not normalizing the Syrian regime by helping Assad rebuild the country until we see irreversible steps forward on a political process that leads to constitutional reform, UN supervised elections with diaspora participation, and a political transition that reflects the will of the Syrian people.”
10. Wide shot, officials
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Jordan:
“We’ve lived with slogans for so long. Slogans resonate very very well, but can we implement those slogans? And who is the victim of raising slogans that all of us know cannot be implemented? It is the Syrian people again. So I think there is a need for a reality check. Let’s get together. Let’s towards a political solution. Let’s identify what is it that we want out of a political solution, and let’s be realistic.”
12. Wide shot, dais
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Gebran Bassil, Foreign Minister, Lebanon:
“For us linking this to a political solution means that you are telling the Syrians ‘you stay in Lebanon; you stay in Jordan; you stay in Turkey.’ The more time passes, the more they will be integrated in our societies, something that we cannot bear at all.”
14. Wide shot, conference room
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said after a confrontation was averted in Idlib, now was the time to move forward on a Syrian constitutional committee adding that “everyone” was looking to see if this could happen in “October; not in Christmas, not next year, in October.”
Speaking at a high-level meeting on the situation in Syria today (26 Sep), de Mistura welcomed the Russian-Turkish deal on Idlib and looked forward to its implementation. He said the both Presidents Erdogan and Putin recognized this was a window of opportunity to accelerate the political process. The Special Envoy underscored that, in theory, talks could begin next week adding that there was no reason not to begin talks in October. He noted that moving forward on the constitutional committee would “help unlock many many other things."
The European Union’s (EU) foreign affairs representative Federica Mogherini said she believed a polticial solution was still possible and could be achieved if all those involved worked together. She said the EU was willing to contribute to reconstruction, “but a political solution must be underway.” She said most Syrians did not want to go back to a country “where there is no accountability and where political detainees are still in jail.” She said Syrians want an end to the war and a negotiated political solution, and this would be “the only realistic basis for a sustainable peace because military victory does not necessarily imply winning the peace.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the principle of Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity should be implemented in action not in words. He said countries should work together to combat terrorism and extremism which has been experienced by all and noted that the area around Idlib was populated with Al Nusra fighters and must be removed.
Zarif said reconstruction and the return of refugees was an important requirement now and stressed that funding for reconstruction should be a dividend of peace not of victory.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister, Iran:
“Peace dividends help Syrians come to end the war, victory dividends help continue the war. I believe is it important for all of us to start helping Syrians as they go back to their homes. Voluntary repatriation of Syrians to their original homes, not to resettlement areas, is an important requirement that we all need to start helping right now as it is taking place following the liberation of certain areas from terrorist occupation.”
United States Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey his country disagreed with the Russian assessment that the Syrian conflict was ending and the situation there was normalizing. He said the US does not think that recognition of the Government, soliciting reconstruction funds, and pressuring neighbouring countries to send back refugees before it is safe to do so is good policy.
Jeffrey said a future Syria would need reconstruction funding, “but the Assad regime should get no help to rebuild Syria until it in on the path of genuine political reform in line with United Nations Security Council resolution 2254.” He added, “We must thus speak with one voice, not normalizing the Syrian regime by helping Assad rebuild the country until we see irreversible steps forward on a political process that leads to constitutional reform, UN supervised elections with diaspora participation, and a political transition that reflects the will of the Syrian people.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the international community agreed that there was no military solution and supported a political solution, but the reality remained that very little progress was made to really end the conflict.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Jordan:
“We’ve lived with slogans for so long. Slogans resonate very very well, but can we implement those slogans? And who is the victim of raising slogans that all of us know cannot be implemented? It is the Syrian people again. So I think there is a need for a reality check. Let’s get together. Let’s towards a political solution. Let’s identify what is it that we want out of a political solution, and let’s be realistic.”
Safadi said supporting de Mistura’s efforts and setting up a constitutional committee with clear objectives was a practical first step adding that the ultimate goal was to save Syria and the Syrian people.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said the situation on the ground in Syria has changed but this was being neglected. He said trying to link the return of Syrian refugees with a political solution would fail. He stressed that a political solution in Syria would be reached because the country could not survive after its war without a new constitution.
SOUNDBITE (English) Gebran Bassil, Foreign Minister, Lebanon:
“For us linking this to a political solution means that you are telling the Syrians ‘you stay in Lebanon; you stay in Jordan; you stay in Turkey.’ The more time passes, the more they will be integrated in our societies, something that we cannot bear at all.”
Bassil emphasised that no one in Lebanon was talking about forced return, however he said refugees should be dealt with in categories which would provide a way for gradual return. He said the majority of refugees came to Lebanon for economic reasons, while others came for security purposes or political reasons. He called on the international community to find ways to finance a mechanism to provide services for returnees in Syria rather than continue to pay for services in host continues which he said entices refugees to stay.
