Preserving Syria's sovereignty is main principle

DAMASCUS - A Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Syria's principles in dealing with the mission of the UN special envoy, Kofi Annan, lie in preserving Syria's sovereignty, national security and stability, Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported Saturday.

Syria's principles in dealing with the mission of Annan, lie in preserving Syria's sovereignty, national security and stability and the "logical" and symmetrical implementation of Annan's 6- point plan, said Jihad Makdissi, stressing that Syria's is fully committed to make Annan's mission in Syria a success.

He urged the world to assist Syria instead of pressuring it, noting that Syria welcomes any initiative if it aims to assist it in bolstering stability and carrying out reforms.

"Annan didn't invent a solution to the crisis because the solution is well-known, and Syria as well is not waiting Annan to solve the crisis but to assist in massing support to solve the crisis through an international initiative," he said.

"The issue of calmness is not in Syria's hands alone because the Syrian crisis is composite...40 percent of the requirements to make Annan's mission a success are in Syria while the rest is abroad," he added, urging Annan to tour other capitals that fund, host and instigate the opposition to halt these measures.

The next stage of Annan's plan, Makdissi said, is to sign a protocol "to define the mechanism of liaison, which is a coordination between a group of observers who would come to Syria in a certain mission to study the issue under the umbrella of the Syrian sovereignty."

He added that Syria will soon host a technical team to negotiate between the Syrian side and the United Nations on the mechanisms of this protocol.

The presence of the illegitimate armed elements within the opposition components is clearly documented internationally and legally and is acknowledged by the latest report issued by Arab Observers Mission, Makdissi explained.

The foreign ministry spokesman made it clear that the Syrian army will pull out from Syrian cities once peace and security prevail.

"The presence of army troops in some Syrian cities is for defensive purposes and to protect the civilians, of whom large numbers are taken as hostages...Once peace and security prevail, the army is to pull out," said Jihad Makdissi.

"The withdrawal of armed appearances would take place once any zone is returned to normal life, and once citizens are able to send their children to schools, restore their normal life," he added.  

Makdissi said the opposition parties should sit around one table without "taboos and calls for military interference in Syria. "

He lashed out at the upcoming opposition meeting in Istanbul " Friends of Syria," suggesting that it's not for friendship but to antagonize Syria and undermine its stability.

"No one could cancel Syria or hit its stability and the solution is exclusively political," he said.  

During the Arab summit in Baghdad Thursday, Arab leaders urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to act quickly to implement the UN-backed peace plan by Annan.

Earlier in the week, Annan announced that Syria has accepted his six-point plan on ending violence. The plan includes commitments to end the violence, allow humanitarian assistance and allow protests.

In his first public comment on the peace plan, Assad said Thursday that his country would spare no efforts to make Annan's mission successful.

However, he appeared to set preconditions for its implementation as he said that "Syria has informed Annan of its approval on the plan with some remarks," calling for holding comprehensive consultations on the details related to its application according to a common understanding for the armed groups not to exploit the climate of carrying out the commitments by the government.