G20 summit ends in Russia without agreement on Syria
September 06, 2013
ST. PETERSBURG — The Group of 20, which comprise the largest economies of the world, split down the middle Friday on the question of supporting the United States in punishing Syria’s government for apparently gassing civilians two weeks ago in Damascus. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Obama held a 20-minute meeting on Syria but failed to reach an agreement.
Putin said he and U.S. President Barack Obama stuck to their positions over Syria but listened to each other during a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Friday, and are looking for ways forward. Putin has been among the loudest critics on the international stage of Obama’s push for a military strike in Syria. He has said in recent interviews that a strike would be illegal if the United Nations does not support it.
Speaking in St. Petersburg, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhu Guangyao said Thursday any military action against Syria would cause a hike in oil prices and have a “negative impact” on the global economy. Russia, Syria’s main supplier of arms, and China have already vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions on Syria.
As the G-20 two-day summit ended in St. Petersburg, the White House released a joint statement endorsed by U.S. President Barack Obama and 10 other G-20 nations. It said: The international norm against the use of chemical weapons is longstanding and universal. The use of chemical weapons anywhere diminishes the security of people everywhere. Left unchallenged, it increases the risk of further use and proliferation of these weapons.
We condemn in the strongest terms the horrific chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21st that claimed the lives of so many men, women, and children. The evidence clearly points to the Syrian government being responsible for the attack, which is part of a pattern of chemical weapons use by the regime.
We call for a strong international response to this grave violation of the world’s rules and conscience that will send a clear message that this kind of atrocity can never be repeated.
Those who perpetrated these crimes must be held accountable. Signatories have consistently supported a strong UN Security Council Resolution, given the Security Council’s responsibilities to lead the international response, but recognize that the Council remains paralyzed as it has been for two and a half years. The world cannot wait for endless failed processes that can only lead to increased suffering in Syria and regional instability. We support efforts undertaken by the United States and other countries to reinforce the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.
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