New Head of Russian Delegation to CoE Pushkov to EuroFora: All Syrian Opposition Groups=Key for Deal

Forge a New, Real and Inclusive Syrian Opposition to Assad, which would coordinate all dissident groups, and not only that "totaly irrelevant" makeshift group set up at Istanbul under neighbouring Turkey, former Ottoman-Turc Empire Occupying power, in order to create a wide "National Coordination" of all Syrian Opposition somewhere else, in a Neutral, f.ex. Arab Country such as Tunisia or Egypt, could be a "Key" for an EU - Russia agreement, that USA and others could endorse, in view of one of the best available Scenario of a basically Peaceful deal with part of the Syrian Regime in order to prepare Assad's departure and a New Era in that strategic Country currently stricken by tragic, violent and deadly claszhes between its Authorities and various dissidents, making many victims, even innocent People, stressed in substance the New Head of Russia's Delegation to CoE's Assembly, Alexey Pushkov, speaking to "EuroFora".

        Pushkov, a "former Journalist", as an experienced Russian Diplomat told "EuroFora", was a key speaker among CoE Assembly's Politicians and Experts gathered in an exceptional Hearing  of its Political Affairs Committee today in, the run up of an important, "Urgent" Debate and Vote of a Resolution on Syria later on Thursday, while Morrocco's new Foreign Minister has just arrived at the CoE, after Jordanian King's speech at EU Parliament, last week, followed by an exceptional Top level EU - CoE coordination between EU Parliament"s experienced Foreign affairs Committee's President, German ChriistianDemocrat/EPP MEP Elmar Brok and CoE's  Secretary General Yagland, with the incoming EU rotating chairmanship by the only Neighbouring EU Country, Cyprus , i.e. among various Syria-related moves these days in Strasbourg...

  - "It's not me, but what Syrian People are saying that matters most", about the need to find and gather together  all representatives of real dissident groups, Top Russian MEP Pushov stressed to "EuroFora", speaking in a perfect French.

=> - "You could get in touch Directly with them". Because,  as "You know, a representative of that Syrian Opposition is living in Paris", characteristically added to "EuroFora" the new Head of the Russian Delegation to CoE's Assembly.

    He spoke just a few minutes after several key MEPs and CoE - invited Head Experts from the Center for International Studies and Research, at Paris' famous "Sciences Po", Joseph Bahout, as well as the vice-President for Europe, of the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Alain Deletroz, had concluded their analysis of the current developments and foreseeable possible options for the Future in Syria, by asking to "hear the views" on that burning matter by the Newly appointed Head of Russian MEPs at the CoE, since March 2012.

    Well beyond a 1st possible Scenario, already partially visible, of "Militarisation" of the conflict in Syria, together with a "Territorialisation", in a Dangerous cross-roads between Turkey, Iraq and Iran or Jordany, risking to become either a kind of "Iraq B", or a "North Korea B", and a 2nd possible Scenario  where the Syrian Regime "implodes", including f.ex. by betrayal, etc., leaving at the hands of an uncertain yet "Opposition" the huge Challenge to find a Peaceful road" out of an "Unstable yet State", it's mainly a 3rd, perhaps "Naive" but able to become "Realistic" Scenario : that in which the Current Regime might go for a Political Change (with Bassar Assad's departure), f.ex. by a kind of "Coup d' Etat", almost as in Egypt, by the Military, etc., to whom the International Community should give some Guarantees, remaining still to see how it would accept to "evolve towards a Democracy", in which case, "Russians hold the Key", that CoE-invited Expert Bahout found more interesting to discuss with the new Russian delegation's Head.

    - But Russia has no so big Trade Interests in Syria, except from an Arms' purchase of some Hundreds Millions €, and a Military Base offered by Damas to Moscow, in fact, wouldn't really serve at anything more important than to simply .."refil our Water-tanks", as a Russian officer had reportedly told ICG's vice-President for Europe Deletroz, who raised, therefore, a Question about what might be Russia's real Interest to eventually continue (together with China) to oppose the intervention of an International Peace-Keeping Force in Syria, despite the Progress recently made as regards the latest UNO SC's Resolution agreed on the expedition and deployment of International "Observers" on the spot.

    - Russia currently prefers a kind of "normal" and "monitored" Transition of power" in Syria, not because it might "stick" to Mr. Assad at any price, but because we don't want to have a similar Mutation of an initially Humanitarian Operation, turning subsequently into a Military one, guided by NATO, like that which had started in Libya back on March 2010, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the 1st International Summit EU - USA/Canada - Arab Ligue - UNO + Russia, etc. in Paris, destinated to "Help the Libyan People" by urgently protecting them from threats of imminent Massacers), as Alexey Pushkov said in reply.

    +  Moreover, the Syrian Opposition which is in Damascus on the spot, strongly denounces the fact that a so-called "Council" established at Istanbul (Turkey), "has Nothing to do with Syria !", the new Head of Russia's Delegation to CoE's Assembly criticized.

    >>> Therefore,  we should find a way to Coordinate together All various Dissident Groups, by inciting them to Unite in a kind of "Coordination Conference", f.ex. at the Caire or Tunis, (i.e. in Neutral and non-Neighbouring Countries), added also to the fact that the Syrian "Regime should become part of a Solution", as Pushkov characteristically proposed in conclusion.

    => In consequence, "Starting from the Syrian Regime at first, and "Uniting the Syrian Opposition" afterwards, this process could result in the Departure of Assad, as a Consequence", mainly  through a Political "Dialogue", Alexey Pushkov suggested.

    Meanwhile, questioned on Putin's reluctance to go to Chicago, despite a possible link with developments on Syria, he prefered to explain that rather by the fact that the recently re-elected Russian President finds that Talks with USA's outgoing President Obama on the so-called "Anti-Missile System" "are Not Advancing" forward, so that Putin wouldn't like to merely assist in a gathering where "Decisions would have been already taken" beforehand, as he said.

    >>> UNO Security Council's latest Resolution on Syria, agreed on April 14, 2012, already calls, indeed, for the "Commencing (of) a Comprehensive Political Dialogue between the Syrian Government and the WHOLE SPECTRUM of the Syrian OPPOSITION", right from the outset, (Article 1).

    => Moreover, CoE Assembly's New Report on Syria, drafted by Italian MEP Pietro Marcenaro, and adopted by CoE's Political affairs Committee later today, also poo the Fact that "the Opposition to the regime of president Bassar al-Assad is Not Homogenous, but rather Divided" :

    - F.ex., "the SNC", formed in Neighbouring Turkey, at Istanbul, was joined, on October 2011, by the "Muslim Brotherhood", shortly after a so-called "Free Syrian Army was formed, on August 2011 by army deserters, etc... based in Turkey", CoE's Report observes.

    + But, on the contrary, the "largely based in Syria, and operating in Syria and abroad", "National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change", "a Syrian Opposition Block .. composed of about 13 ... Political Parties, and Independent .. Dissidents, including 3 Kurdish parties, and Youth Activists", "did Not" even accept "an invitation .. to a Meeting in Istanbul" (Turkey), CoE's Report adds. Meanwhile, "on March 2012, 5 prominent SNC Members Resigned and formed a "Syrian Patriotic Front", because "they complained that the Muslim Brotherhood exerced too much Control over the SNC" in Turkey. In addition, "many Christians fear that, being Under-represented  within the SNC, they Risk losing the Guarantees of Religious Tolerance they have enjoyed until now"....  Moreover, "many Armed Groups do Not appear to belong to an Organized Command Structure, Nor to coordinate with the SNC of the Free Syrian Army" which remain based in Turkey, and whose "Salaries will be paid by the SNC", according to its Chair.  Even "Kurdish Opposition Groups have Not joined the SNC"  in Turkey, "the later being dominated by Sunni Muslims", so that 15 Kurdish Parties formed, on October 2011, the Syrian Kurdish National Council (KNC), as a Separate Opposition Group". And "several attempts aimed at bringing together the (Turkey-based) SNC and the (Syria-based) KNC ... have Failed, .. because of Diverging Positions on the issue of the extend of Kurdish Autonomy in a future, post-Assad Syria", CoE's latest Report finds.  

    => Therefore, the Draft Resolution adopted by CoE's Political Committee,  later today in Strasbourg, "calls on the Various Groups of domestic Opposition to Unite, in order to be considered as a Legitimate Alternative, offering all Syrian Citizens, irrespective of their Ethnic origin, Culture or Religion, the prospect of a Peaceful, Democratic and Pluralist Syria".

    - "The Syrian Population is a Mosaic of Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Groups, and this Diversity, together with the Territorial Integrity of Syria, must be preserved in a Future post-Assad Syria", adds CoE's Draf Resolution, which is scheduled to be Debated in Public and definitively Adopted by CoE Assembly's Plenary in Strasbourg on Thursday, April 27.

    Even if Russia considers CoE's 2012 Report on Syria "more balanced than in the Past", according to Pushkov, nevertheless, among the numerous Amendments just tabled by Russian-led MEPs, those apparently having more Chances to attract a Wider Support inside CoE's PanEuropean Assembly, are those who ask to "delete" the claim that "the Implementation of [UNO SC's latest Resolution on Syria] is being co-ordinated by the Group of Friends of the Syrian People", recently gathered in Turkey, but from which are absent Russia, China, and Other Countries, as well as a demand to "insert the .. words : "Sovereignity, Independence and Unity" of the Country in the Future, etc.

    This doesn't, however, mean at all that such Amendments might  be accepted in PACE's plenary, final votes, since a Majority of other MEPs appears more or less opposed...  

    The above mentioned Facts, clearly indicate that Ankara's probable attempts to influence the Turkey-based SNC have provoked and/or aggravated Divisions among various Syrian Opposition Groups, pushing away f.ex. Kurdish, Christian and Democratic groups.... (See supra).

    It's true that "Syrian" issues are traditionally complex and multi-faceted, already "since the birth of this "New State", set up after the Sevres Treaty (1919-1920). F.ex. Assad Father's book "Struggle for Syria", had been initially titled "Struggle for the Middle East", since, "whoever takes Control of Syria, can claim Control over the whole Middle East", and/or even use it as "a means to invade and occupy Turkey", as well as, f.ex. to " make Iran and Hezbollah bogged down to Syrian deserts", etc., observed CoE's Experts,

    while the coincidence with the 97th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, reminded also that Ottoman-Turcs had brutaly expulsed many Hundrends Thousands of Armenian People from the Caucasus and Anatolia towards the Syrian deserts, where even more than 900 Armenian Children had been deported and atrociously killed, as several German and Swiss Christian Missionaires reported..

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