Arab League Urges Syrian 'National Dialogue' within 15 Days
The Arab Foreign ministers on Sunday called on the Syrian regime and the opposition to hold a national dialogue at the Arab League's Headquarters in fifteen days.
At the end of the emergency meeting in Cairo on the crisis in Syria the Arab league urged the "immediate cease of violence and the removal of security troops from the streets in order to maintain peace."
The Arab Foreign Ministers also decided to form an Arab committee, headed by Qatar, and with Oman, Egypt, Sudan, and the Arab League's Secretary general Nabil al-Arabi as members, which would seek to hold a "comprehensive National dialog between the Syrian regime and the opposition," Qatar's foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin JassimAl Thani said while reading the final statement.
" The committee will make a report as soon as possible and the Arab League will be in permanent session in order to follow-up on the situation in Syria," he added.
Arab foreign ministers on opened an emergency meeting in Cairo on the crisis in Syria where the U.N. says more than 3,000 people have been killed in a crackdown on anti-government protests.
Gulf states requested the meeting to discuss "the situation in Syria, which has deteriorated sharply, particularly in its humanitarian dimensions, and steps that could help end the bloodshed and halt the machine of violence."
Before the opening of the talks at the Cairo-based League, several ministers met informally at a hotel with the organization's secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi.
One diplomat who took part said the participants were divided on the means to halt the bloodshed since anti-regime protests broke out in mid-March.
Syria's possible suspension and the recognition of an opposition Syrian National Council were raised "but the majority believed it necessary to give a chance" for Arabi to encourage the implementation of rapid reforms, he said.
They also rejected any foreign intervention.
Arab foreign ministers already met in Cairo on September 13 and called on the Syrian authorities to "immediately stop the bloodshed," drawing a testy response from Damascus.
Arabi earlier met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and presented him with a 13-point document outlining Arab proposals for reform.
A coalition of 121 Arab and international rights groups, in a joint statement, on Sunday urged the League to take action to prevent Syria from sliding into civil war.
They called on the organization to suspend Syria's membership, downgrade Arab diplomatic missions in Damascus and to back action against Damascus at the UN Security Council.
Source: Agence France Presse
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