Statement by Mr. Kofi Annan , Joint Special Envoy for Syria after his second meeting with President Assad
Sunday 11 March 2012
I have just had my second meeting with President Assad.
Our discussions focused on the core objectives of this process: an immediate stop to the violence and the killing; access for humanitarian agencies, and the start of a political dialogue.
I presented a set of concrete proposals which would have a real impact on the situation on the ground and which will help launch a process aimed at putting an end to this crisis. I told the President that my main preoccupation is the welfare of the Syrian people –that we should place the interests of the people at the centre of all our efforts.
I have also met representatives of the opposition, as well as civil society, businessmen and women and religious leaders.
The transformational winds blowing today cannot be long-resisted.
I have urged the President to heed the old African proverb: “you cannot turn the wind, so turn the sail.”
The realistic response is to embrace change and reform.
Reforms that will create a solid foundation for a democratic Syria – a peaceful, stable, pluralistic and prosperous society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.
Thank you.
Question: Mr. Annan, the President said that the political process could not start before ending the armed actions in the Syrian cities. The opposition that you met yesterday said that violence, killing and arresting should end before starting a political solution. How are you going to harmonize between those two viewpoints in order to move towards a political solution to the Syrian Crises?
Mr. Annan: That is part of the challenge and part of my efforts; obviously, when you start this process people have different positions. The challenge is to bring them to a point when they compromise and realize that the only way to move forward is by compromise and making conceptions. You have to start by stopping the killings and the misery and the abuses that is going on today and then give time and space for the political settlement. I know there will be many positions. When you start negations that is always the case, but the challenge for the mediator is to reconcile all these positions and to move forward and that is the challenge that I have to do.
Question: After meeting with President Assad and the opposition, are you optimistic about your mission in Syria?
Mr. Annan: Yes. Yes, it is going to be tough, it’s going to be difficult but we have to have hope. I am optimistic for several reasons. First of all, I have come for a short period. Almost every Syrian have left more space. They want the violence to stop, they want to move on with their lives, and the longer the violence continues the waste that impacts is going to be for the average man and woman who is simply drastic get on in his or her life.
We can’t allow the situation to deteriorate to a point where the unemployment is very high, the economic and social deterioration sassing and that in itself create tensions and I hope we will work together to stop the crises before we get there or even get to worse position.
Question: President Al-Assad and the opposition said they don’t make dialogue with war. Does that make your work end before it starts?
Mr. Annan: Well, you’ll always have skeptics and doubts. The world is made up of optimism and skeptics and we’ll live with that. What I will say is that the situation is so bad and so dangerous that all of us cannot afford to fear. It is our responsibility, and when I say all of us I’m saying that peace and stability in Syria is the responsibility of every single. It’s not the responsibility of the mediator alone and not of the Government alone. Your voices should be heard. You should be able to advance in your mosques, in your churches, in your communities to help reconcile this nation. I have often maintain that when leaders fail to lead the people can make them follow, so people are not part.
Question: Have you received promises of cease-fire and approvals on accepting the humanitarian assistance?
Mr. Annan: That is some issues we’re discussing with the President and in fact I said I have left concrete proposals with the President and the issues you raised were part of the proposals.
