Italy Urges Syrian Opposition to be 'Cohesive'
Italy on Monday called on Syrian opposition groups to be "cohesive" and urged the U.N. Security Council to set a timeline for further pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"We stress the need that all political opposition forces must have a common agenda and in a cohesive way," Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
"The U.N. Security Council in my opinion should have an element of clear urgency to the situation in Syria, establishing a timeline in order to avoid giving Assad more time... without stopping the violence."
Terzi, who is accompanying Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on a three-day visit to Jordan, told reporters the "terrible violence must be stopped" in Syria.
"There is a very strong push by the international community in isolating Assad's regime. What is happening in Syria is totally unacceptable and all this terrible violence must be stopped," he said.
The deadly crackdown on opponents in Syria has left more than 9,000 people dead since the uprising began in March last year, according to the U.N.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, however, puts the death toll from the crackdown at more than 10,100.
Assad's regime has accepted a peace plan by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, but has kept shelling rebel positions, saying it had no plans to immediately withdraw troops.
"We need to support the mission of Kofi Annan. We in Jordan want a political solution to the problem. We have said that clearly," Judeh told the news conference.
A palace statement said Napolitano held talks with King Abdullah II that focused on Syria.
"Jordan backs a political solution to the crisis in Syria that preserves its unity and stability and puts an end to bloodshed and violence," it quoted the king as telling the Italian president.
Meanwhile, the state-run Petra news agency quoted Judeh as saying that "Jordan is hosting more than 90,000 Syrian citizens in addition to several thousands of refugees, that have fled to the kingdom since the beginning of the crisis" last March.
Most of them are staying with relatives in the northern border city of Ramtha and in nearby Mafraq.
Source: Agence France Presse
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