Harper to raise Syria crisis on China trip
Written by on February 5th, 2012 in Latest News.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will raise the crisis in Syria on his trip to China, a top Canadian government official says, a day after China joined Russia in vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling on Syria’s president Bashar Assad to step down.
In an interview with CBC News Sunday, Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Canada is pursuing “diplomatic efforts” with Russia and China in an effort to end the crisis in Syria.
“We will be talking to the Chinese and to the Russians, and explaining to them our view, as to why their veto is incorrect,” said Obhrai.
The prime minister, along with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and a delegation of MPs and other Canadian offcials, are heading to China on Monday where Obhrai said several issues will be raised, “not only Syria but Iran as well.”
“This is the opportunity for the prime minister to raise these issues with the Chinese leadership,” he said.
On Saturday, the New Democrats called on the federal governement to exert diplomatic pressure on China and Russia in order to secure an end to the bloodshed in Syria.
The NDP also called on Ottawa to immediately recall its ambassador to Syria.
While Obhrai said Canada has not ruled out the go, he said withdrawing its ambassador would send “a message that Canada is upset.”
“That message has already gone [out] to the Syrian government,” said Obhrai.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for “friends of democratic Syria” to unite and rally against President Bashar Assad’s administration.
The UN said in December that more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since March in the regime’s crackdown on dissent. The world body said it has been unable to update its count for weeks due to recent chaos in the country.
