Attempt to sneak into \'Friends of Syria\' meeting hall foiled

120 states back Syrian revolution Rabat – Houcine Idrissi Marrakech security authorities on Wednesday evening foiled an attempt by four Syrian nationals to sneak into the hotel where the “Friends of Syria” meeting was being held. A security source told Arabstoday the four pro-revolutionary Syrians had succeeded in sneaking into the reception hall adjacent to the place where the meeting was taking place.
They were arrested by intelligence officers and it was later found that they had intended to enter the meeting hall to declare their endorsement of the convening countries’ support for the Syrian people in the two-day meeting which began Wednesday.
Participants in the fourth ministerial meeting of “Friends of Syria” have announced their willingness to provide the Syrian National Coalition [SNC] with political and financial support, billing the umbrella group as the legitimate representative for the Syrian people.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saadeddine Othmani, delivered a message on behalf of King Mohammed VI which emphasised the need to “accelerate” the transition process in Syria in order to the “cycle of violence” in the country and “fulfil Syrians’ legitimate demands for democracy and freedom.”
Speaking at the conference, Fench Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that recognising the Coalition as official representatives of Syria was “a very important point” and urged the 120-plus states taking part in the meeting to “provide all possible forms of support” for the Coalition “in the service of the Syrian people.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Muhammad Al Thani, called on the Syrian regime to “depart” to allow the democratic transition in Syria to proceed and for the country to begin reconstruction.
Vice President of the Syrian National Council, Suhair Atassi, also called for international support of the Syrian people “to relieve the suffering endured in all Syrian cities after the destruction of the infrastructure.” The opposition official added that the SNC was working in coordination with partner states and international organisations - in accordance with international principles and standards - to identify the needs of the Syrian people and deliver to those in needs. Atassi also called on the international community to facilitate the procedures for bringing relief aid to refugees in border areas.
Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said the formation of a unified opposition umbrella was “a spark of hope” and expressed his hope that the SNC would be able to “chrystalise a clear and comprehensive perspective” to fulfill the ambitions of the Syrian people “in all its various components,” and maintain Syrian territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty. Stressing the need for opposition unity, al-Faisal announced a gift of $100 million for the benefit of the Syrian National Coalition of Opposition and Revolutionary Forces.
On his country’s stance, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davitoglu said the Syrian crisis cannot be resolved due the Syrian regime’s rejection of “all the advice and proposals geared towards reform which we have presented,” preferring the “security solution.”
The Turkish top diplomat warned of “indicators of a sectarian war in the region” caused by the Syrian crisis and asserted that the only resolution to the crisis is “continued application of regional and international pressure on the Syrian regime.” He also referred to the economic sanctions that his country had imposed in Syria, as well as measures it took to freeze all dealings with the Syrian Central Bank.
On the next stop for the \"Friends of Syria\" conference, Othmani said the next meeting will be held in Italy. The three previous meetings had been held in Tunis, Istanbul and Paris in chronological order.