Russia and China back Annan appointment as Syria envoy

Russia welcomed on Friday the appointment of Kofi Annan as the U.N. and Arab League envoy for the crisis in Syria, saying Moscow was ready to work closely with the former United Nations chief.

"We hope that the work of this respected statesman will assist in solving the acute political and humanitarian problems in Syria," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said Annan should work with both sides in the conflict and search for a peaceful solution through dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.

Russia and its diplomatic ally China earlier this month infuriated the West by vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the regime of Bashar Assad for the violence.

China also welcomed Annan’s appointment, hoping that the work that will be done will help find a solution to end the bloodshed. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan was appointed the joint United Nations-Arab League envoy on the Syrian crisis with a mandate to bring an end to the violence and promote a peaceful political solution.         

Annan's successor, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby announced the appointment ahead of Friday's major international conference on Syria in Tunisia's capital.         

The announcement said that as the U.N.-Arab League special envoy, Annan will work on bringing an end to "all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis."         

A deputy for the joint special envoy will be chosen from the Arab region, they said.         

Diplomats said Thursday that Ban couldn't find a high-level Arab acceptable to both sides and turned to Annan and former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari as possible candidates. Both are veteran mediators  Annan in Kenya and Ahtisaari in Kosovo  and both are Nobel Peace Prize winners.        

Last week, the U.N. General Assembly asked Ban to support the Arab League's efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the crisis, including through appointment of a special envoy to Syria.          

The focus of the meeting was Syria and the way forward in implementing the General Assembly Resolution including the appointment of a Special Envoy. They also discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the planned mission of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, to the country.               

Ban met Elaraby, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on the sidelines of a conference on Somalia in London Friday to discuss Syria, the appointment of a special envoy and the planned mission of U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos to the country, the U.N. said.           

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks were private, said the choice of Annan as joint special envoy was finalized at that meeting.            
AP/LBCI