UAE seeks UN accountability on Syria crisis

Abu Dhabi: Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday held the United Nations’ Security Council responsible for not putting an end to the Syrian crisis.

“The Security Council should recognise its responsibility to maintain the international peace and security and stop operations in civil areas by the Syrian regime,” Shaikh Abdullah told a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.

Shaikh Abdullah stressed that the Syrian crisis could have repercussions across the region as the conflict threatens to spill over into neighbouring countries. He focused attention on escalating tensions along the Syria-Turkey border and warned that the situation in Syria would also exacerbate sectarian divisions in the region.

The UAE’s call for action from the UN came as mortars fired from Syria again struck a Turkish border village on Sunday, prompting artillery retaliation for the fourth day as fierce fighting rocked the key city of Aleppo and rebels lost ground in Damascus.

It may be recalled that five civilians were killed in Akcakale in a mortar strike last week that drew retaliatory attacks from Turkey in the most serious incident since Syrian anti-aircraft fire brought down a Turkish warplane in June.

That incident stoked tensions between the former allies and renewed fears of a broader conflict.

Shaikh Abdullah said the Arab League has endeavoured to provide the best conditions for a peaceful solution to the crisis. “The Arab League tried to work with the international community and the Security Council, but unfortunately no solution has yet [been] reached nor a unified stance is brought up to the Security Council,” he said.

Gryshchenko said his country was also very concerned over the situation in Syria and called on the international community to spare no effort to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Shaikh Abdullah and Gryshchenko were speaking following a meeting of the UAE-Ukraine committee in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The two sides said they believe there are several opprtunities to strengthen ties between the two countries in terms of economy, trade and military cooperation.