Chinese FM urges seizing opportunity to politically solve Syrian crisis

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council should unite and seek the opportunity to politically solve the Syrian crisis, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday at the meeting among the P5 and the UN chief.

Wang made the remarks as the foreign ministers of China, Britain, France, Russia, the U.S. Secretary of State and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met at the UN headquarters in discussion of the Syrian crisis, as well as situations in Yemen and South Sudan.

The P5 should unite and seek the opportunity to politically solve the Syrian crisis as the parties are showing more willingness to do so, said Wang. He said that the convening of the third Geneva conference at an appropriate time should be considered and conditions conducive to the opening of such a conference should be actively created.

"Progress on the political solution will contribute to greater synergy on anti-terrorism efforts of all sides," said Wang. He held that dialogues between the Syrian parties should be encouraged and the meditation efforts by UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura, in particular, should be supported so as to have a consensus reached among the Syrian parties.

China has provided urgent humanitarian aid to the Syrian people including those fleeing to other countries and will continue such assistance, said Wang.

On Yemen, Wang alerted the five permanent members on the spillover effect of the continuing crisis.

"The solution of the Yemeni crisis should be based on adequate consideration of the country's reality and understanding that war or conflict is not the way out," said Wang.

The top priority is to have all Yemeni sides stop military actions and resume dialogue and negotiation so that they return to the track of political solution, Wang stressed.

He called on the P5 to play their roles and promote the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions and Gulf Cooperation Council initiatives by all sides, so that a solution that takes account of everyone's concerns can be reached through dialogue. "Major regional countries should also play an active role," he added.

The Chinese foreign minister also urged the implementation of the recent ceasefire agreement between warring parties of South Sudan, calling the signing of the agreement an important step in its peace process.

The Inter-Governmental Authority for Development in Africa (IGAD) and the African Union should continue to play their important role of mediation, said Wang, as regional countries have a better understanding of their own situation.

He held that the UN Security Council and the five permanent members should increase communication, remain unified and send clear signals to support the mediation efforts by IGAD, so as to jointly promote the peace process of South Sudan. Endi