Divided UNSC seeks accord on Syria statement

The divided UN Security Council on Tuesday negotiated a statement on the Syria crisis amid warnings from Russia that it will not accept any "ultimatum" against President Bashar al-Assad. Diplomats from the 15-nation council held four hours of talks on a Western-drafted presidential statement seeking to reinforce international backing to UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's efforts to halt the bloodshed in Syria.
Russia led resistance to part of the statement which said the council would "consider further measures" if Assad does not act upon the envoy's peace plan, diplomats said. Russia and China have already vetoed two full resolutions on Syria. With no agreement made, the talks moved up to ambassador level. "There are major political issues at stake so we will see whether we can solve them," French envoy Gerard Araud told reporters as he entered the talks. The proposed statement, obtained by AFP, does not condemn the violence but would express "gravest concern" at the deteriorating crisis in Syria and "profound regret" at the thousands of dead.
It calls on Assad and Syria's opposition to "implement fully and immediately" Annan's six-point peace plan. It says the council will "consider further measures" if nothing is done within seven days of any adoption. Araud had said he "hoped" for the statement - which carries less weight than a full resolution - could be adopted on Tuesday.
But Russia, which with China has already vetoed two resolutions on Syria, has insisted it will accept no "ultimatum" in any form against the Damascus government, its major Middle East ally. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country was ready to back a Security Council statement or resolution on Syria.
But he said Annan's proposals must be published and properly debated and that "the Security Council should approve them not as an ultimatum but with consideration for the work that is ongoing" by the UN-Arab League envoy. Araud said Monday that the proposed statement "is really the least controversial text that we could utter."