Clinton visits Stockholm and call for one voice on Syria

Sunday, 03 June 2012
US secretary of state was in Sweden for a visit and she was talking much Syria. Speaking in Stockholm on Sunday, she said that “we are concerned that the situation in Syria could develop into a full-scale civil war that could drag the rest of the region.”

At a press conference at Rosenbad in Stockholm on Sunday which was attended by Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, Clinton would showed concern that there could be a civil war in Syria, and that it could create a dangerous and unpredictable situation in the region.

Clinton also said that she has been in the past three days had close contact with UN peace envoy Kofi Annan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“My message to Lavro is clear and straightforward. We must all increase our efforts to bring about a political solution. The Russians have to sit at the table and help with that,” said Clinton.

According to Clinton, it is important to speak with one voice to increase pressure on Syrian leader Assad. It is also about the UN Security Council must decide on further action against Syria, stressed the U.S. Secretary of State.  

“I’ll take part on Wednesday in a meeting in Istanbul with leaders of countries in the region, which are of particular concern about a civil war breaking on with consequences for the whole region. The people of Syria need a change, as fast as possible, but it must be through peaceful means,” Hillary Clinton said.

Hillary Clinton's visit reflects the rareness of top US diplomatic visits to the country. It is the first single bilateral visit by a U.S. secretary of state since 1976 when Henry Kissinger spent a day in May in Stockholm.
Clinton is on tour in Scandinavia and the Caucasus for over a week. With the Swedish government, she will among other things, has been talking  among others the future of Afghanistan and developments in the Middle East.


By Scancomark.se Team