UN chief warns of "full-blown" military escalation in Syria
Xinhua,April 13, 2018 Adjust font size:
UNITED NATIONS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday warned of the danger of a full-fledged military escalation in Syria.
"Increasing tensions and the inability to reach a compromise in the establishment of an accountability mechanism (for chemical weapons use in Syria) threaten to lead to a full-blown military escalation," Guterres told the Security Council.
"In my contacts with you -- especially with the permanent members of the Security Council -- I have been reiterating my deep concerns about the risks of the current impasse and stressed the need to avoid the situation spiralling out of control. This is exactly the risk we face today -- that things spiral out of control," said the UN chief.
"It is our common duty to stop it," he added.
He said Syria represents the most serious threat to international peace and security today and there is no military solution to the conflict.
"The solution must be political through the Geneva intra-Syrian talks," he said.
The Security Council was holding a meeting on the situation in Syria at the request of Russia. Enditem