Abdullah Bin Zayed urges international community to change strategy to stop crimes perpetrated by Syrian regime

Paris - July 8, 2012 (WAM) - UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that the international community has to change its strategy to stop what is happening in Syria under the current regime, which continues its crimes against the Syrian people. Addressing the '3rd Friends of Syrian People Meet' held in Paris, Sheikh Abdullah wondered how many Syrians more must give their lives until we change our strategy about what is happening in Syria. "Some spoke today about the imposition of more sanctions, but the question is whether these penalties will change the behaviour of the Syrian regime and put an end to its crimes and massacres against the Syrian people?", asked Sheikh Abdullah. He went on: "All countries gathered here and which have economic relations with Syria have imposed the maximum extent of sanctions on that country, yet it could not make any change in the behaviour of the Syrian regime that continues to kill and commit atrocities". He expressed surprise and denunciation over the absence Kofi Annan in the conference and asked: "Where is Mr. Kofi Annan, why didn't he attend the conference and talk to us?". It is shameful that a person in the status of Kofi Annan is absent at this meeting. I express utmost regret about the presence of Annan in Geneva. Is there any better place than this for Mr. Annan to be present in this circumstance, lamented Sheikh Abdullah. Addressing the international community and the delegates participating in the Paris meeting Sheikh Abdullah asked: "How many more Syrians must die for us to move to stop the killings and massacres?". He went on asking whether how long we will wait letting the Syrian regime to continue lying and ridiculing us and giving us false pretexts. Sheikh Abdullah concluded by asking: "When will we say to the Syrian regime, enough of the killings, destruction and massacres? When will we stop just watching and talking?" – Emirates News Agency, WAM