Secretary-General's press encounter upon departure from Syria (unofficial transcript)

SG: I am delighted with my first ever visit to Syria. It was short but productive. I had an excellent meeting with His Excellency President Bashar al-Assad, followed by one with Vice-President Shara. While flying to Damascus, I had a very good meeting with Foreign Minister Muallem and this meeting continued during a lunch he kindly hosted for my delegation.

I had the opportunity to visit our peacekeepers in UNDOF today, and was very impressed by their continuing commitment to preserve stability on the Golan Heights. UNDOF has maintained the ceasefire and supervised compliance by Israel and Syria with the Disengagement Agreement for over 30 years. While UNDOF has performed its duties successfully, the unresolved issues of the Golan Heights and a comprehensive peace in the Middle East are fundamental to address. The basis for a solution involves an end to the occupation of Arab territory, and a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the region, as called for in the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Government of Syria for continuing its cooperation to this UNDOF operation and look forward to such continuing contribution.

With President Assad, we continued our discussions on various issues that we also raised together in Riyadh last month, in the margins of the Arab Summit. Today we discussed the situation in Iraq –including Syria's generous accommodation of so many Iraqi refugees who have been forced to flee Iraq as a result of the terrible violence in that country. The President informed me that Syria will be willing to work with the UN on all matters relating to peace and stability in the region. President Assad and the Government of Syria reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, and to enhance consultations with the United Nations in this regard. I encouraged the President to reach a border agreement with Lebanon. He agreed today to reactivate the Border Committee with Lebanon. I warmly welcome this positive step. The President assured me that Syria is ready to assist, in partnership with other key countries, the Lebanese to reach a national consensus and a National Unity Government, and stressed Syria's readiness to support what the Lebanese agree in this regard. I urged the President to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon, and he reconfirmed his readiness in principle to establish relations with Lebanon.

Today, we also discussed other important issues relating to Security Council resolution 1559. I emphasized the importance of preventing illegal movement of arms into Lebanon. Syria can play a very positive role in Lebanon, including in assisting and disbanding and disarming all armed groups in Lebanon. I discussed the special tribunal at length with the President and requested his influence in order to help the Lebanese reach an agreement. We also discussed the Middle East Peace Process –the need for a comprehensive solution in accordance with resolutions 242 and 338, and the need to move forward with the Arab Peace Initiative. The President and I are looking forward to continuing our contacts and our common efforts for peace in the region in mutual trust and friendship.

Thank you very much.

Q: [in Arabic]

SG: I am encouraged by President Assad and the Syrian Government's firm commitment to fully cooperate in all matters related to peace and security in this region. Syria is a very important country and I expect that Syria can play a very constructive role in bringing peace and security to this region and President Assad has reaffirmed his willingness to do that.

Q: [in Arabic]

SG: The United Nations, particularly the Security Council, has taken, adapted many important resolutions in the past to bring peace and security in this region, particularly resolution 242 and 338. There are resolutions recently taken –1559 and 1701. Those are all important resolutions giving guidelines to the peace process and security in this region. It is my sincere wish that all the parties concerned have fully complied with those resolutions.

Q: [in Arabic]

SG: It's unfortunate that all the relevant resolutions have not been implemented by the cooperation of parties concerned. When I visited Israel I emphasized the necessity and importance of implementing all relevant resolutions, which obligate Israel to fully comply. At the same time, there are still many resolutions which are not implemented by other parties. At this time, I have some optimism that the Arab leaders are looking at the Arab peace initiative and the Quartet had been re-energized. There are some Arab countries who will participate in this Quartet process. The National Unity Government of the Palestine was established. We hope that all this peace process moving on, the international community should encourage such an ongoing peace initiative so we will be able to see for the progress in this peace process.

Q: Did you get any specific, positive answer from the Syrian Government regarding the Hariri tribunal and [inaudible] sent to the frontier, and will the UN impose the tribunal under Chapter VII if no agreement is reached?

SG: I discussed this issue with President Assad at length. He said that this is an issue purely which Lebanese people should decide with consensus opinion. However, at the same time, he said he would use his effort, his own role to encourage the Lebanese people to arrive at a national consensus. I emphasized the importance and the urgency for the Lebanese people to promote national reconciliation so that they can reach an agreement on establishing a special tribunal and neighboring countries, particularly Syria, should play a constructive role to help their national reconciliation process.

Q: [in Arabic]

SG: The last part of your question I will answer. The most desirable path is that the Lebanese people they should find out their own way in accordance with the constitutional procedure. For the other measures in place, that they are not able to agree on that, this is something that the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, will have to consider later on. I am not in a position to say anything other than that.

Q: Now there are more than 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria and what will the United Nations do to help reduce the burden Syria now has in receiving these refugees?

SG: This must be a very difficult challenge for the Syrian Government to help those million Iraqi refugees politically, socially, and particularly economically. In that regard, I expressed my deep admiration and appreciation to President Assad for the Syrian Government's good treatment for those refugees despite his government's own difficulty. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has convened an international conference to help those Iraqi refugees who are accommodated in Syria and Jordan. The UN will continue to mobilize necessary funds from the international community in close coordination with them.