Coalition opens Syrian embassy

Source:Agencies Published: 2013-3-28 0:28:01

The Syrian opposition coalition, recognized by the Arab League as the sole representative for Syria, opened its first embassy in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday.

But opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib, who took Syria's seat at an Arab summit in Doha on Tuesday, used the ribbon-cutting ceremony to voice his frustration with world powers for failing to do more to help in the struggle to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"There is an international willingness for the revolution not to triumph," he told reporters at the embassy, which was festooned with balloons.

Meanwhile, Assad urged the BRICS nations on Wednesday to help "stop the violence" in his country and put an end to the suffering of his people he said is caused by international sanctions.

The BRICS leaders expressed "deep concern" over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Syria, while tacitly opposing Western calls for Assad to be ousted.

They called for a "Syrian-led political process" to achieve peace through dialogue "that meets the legitimate aspirations of all sections of Syrian society and respect for Syrian independence."

The group also expressed its "opposition to any further militarization of the conflict."

Russia on Wednesday called the Arab League's decision to award Syria's seat at the organization to the opposition "illegal and indefensible."

It accused the Arab League of effectively supporting a military solution to the conflict instead of peace talks.

On the same day, Iran's foreign ministry also criticized as a "dangerous precedent" the Arab League's decision.

"Handing Syria's seat to the so-called provisional government is a dangerous precedent by the members of the Arab League," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by Iranian media as telling reporters.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a political solution to the Syrian crisis on Wednesday, ruling out Western military intervention despite Khatib's plea for US protection.

Khatib said on Tuesday he had asked US to help defend rebel-controlled northern parts of Syria with Patriot surface-to-air missiles based in Turkey.

But NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen stuck firmly to his insistence that the 28-nation alliance would not play a military role in the conflict.

A watchdog said Syrian warplanes launched two strikes on Qaboon in northeastern Damascus on Wednesday, which came a day after at least 127 people were killed in violence across Syria,

Reuters - AFP

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