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Middle East and North Africa

No need to sidestep all responsibility on UN for situation in Syria - Kofi Annan

By presenting his book, “Interventions: A Life in War and Peace”, in Moscow on Monday, Annan said he took part in solving the Syrian problem as a mediator

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 15 (Itar-Tass) - There is no need to sidestep all responsibility on the U.N. for the situation in Syria, former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan said.

By presenting his book, “Interventions: A Life in War and Peace”, in Moscow on Monday, Annan said he took part in solving the Syrian problem as a mediator.

The problem was if Syria repeated the scenario in Libya. Now all events in Syria can be considered a real tragedy, the former U.N. secretary-general said.

“In Geneva in June 2012 we adopted the communique on the need to settle the crisis by political means and form a transition government. Measures should be taken to stop the chaos. A year later an idea was put forth to convene a new conference on Syria in Geneva,” Annan said.

“I said the political efforts, including from President Barack Obama, were indispensable. Then progress can be achieved,” he said.

The U.N. is only a secretariat and there is no need to sidestep all responsibility on it for the situation in Syria. “I hope that the Geneva-2 conference would be convened as soon as possible. The state will succeed in reaching agreement. Iran should be one of the countries, which will take a decision,” Annan stressed.

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