UK foreign secretary on summit, support for rebels, EU arms embargo
(21 Apr 2013) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of British Foreign Secretary William Hague walking into room 2. Mid cameraman 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) William Hague, British Foreign Secretary: "What we have arrived at as, as my Turkish colleague, and Secretary Kerry (US Secretary of State John Kerry) will explain at the press conference, is an agreement, a declaration, by the National Coalition of the Syrian opposition that is, in effect, their compact with the international community. It is in the clearest language they've ever used - a commitment to a free and democratic Syria -to condemn extremism themselves, to be clear about their responsibilities on chemical weapons." 4. Mid of Hague 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) William Hague, British Foreign Secretary: "All the 11 countries involved will intensify our coordination with each other in the way that we deliver assistance to them. And all the countries involved have pledged to ensure that the assistance that they deliver, as the United Kingdom does already, will all go through the Syrian National Coalition or, where appropriate, their military council." 6. Cameraman 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) William Hague, British Foreign Secretary: "Well, we're all discussing in the European Union how we need to move forward on that, on the whole sanctions issue, of which the arms embargo is a part. So I don't think I can add much to what I said to your colleague. There will be discussions over the next few weeks. I've certainly been discussing it with my German colleague Guido Westerwelle tonight. There will be discussions over the next few weeks. I don't want to pre-judge that. But of course in the UK we are in favour of giving more assistance to the (Syrian) National Coalition." 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) William Hague, British Foreign Secretary: "The world hasn't been decisive. The United Nations Security Council has failed in its responsibilities. Of course, many countries on the Security Council like the UK have tried to exercise those responsibilities. We've tried for a long time to pass resolutions that would require the implementation of the Geneva communiqu�, of a transitional government made up of regime and opposition." 9. Wide Hague leaving STORYLINE: British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Saturday said no decisions had been made on amending or lifting a European Union embargo on providing weapons to Syria's rebels, which expires at the end of May. "There will be discussions over the next few weeks. I don't want to pre-judge that. But of course in the UK we are in favour of giving more assistance to the (Syrian) National Coalition," Hague told reporters on the sidelines of the so called Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul. Foreign ministers from the main supporters of the rebels trying to topple the Syrian government were meeting in Istanbul over the weekend to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down. Turkey was hosting the gathering, which was also attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Hague also said that the Syrian National Coalition pledged their commitment to a "free and democratic Syria". In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said they welcomed the Syrian National Coalition's "firm rejection of extremism and its commitment not to use chemical weapons" and cited those commitments in agreeing to enhance and expand support for all coalition institutions. The additional money will double the non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition as well as increasing humanitarian aid. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
