Ban Ki-Moon called on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to “immediately implement the UN six-point peace plan," as France considered that "Friends of Syria" Conference is a Chance to Strengthen Support to Opposition.

Ban Urges Al-Assad to "Immediately" Implement Annan’s Peace Plan

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for an urgent implementation of the UN six-point peace plan.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday in Kuwait, Ban said that “I urge President Al-Assad to put commitments into immediate effect. There is no time to waste,” expressing his concern over the continuing violence in Syria.

“This is an important initial step that could bring an end to the bloodshed and violence," he added, indicating that he will be meeting with key leaders in Baghdad to discuss joint efforts by the UN and Arab League states to solve the Syrian crisis.

In parallel, Westerwelle said that “the six-point plan by Kofi Annan is supported by the United Nations Security Council. It is supported by Germany,” warning that “the Syrian regime would be judged on deeds, not words”.

In a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Wednesday, the German Foreign Minister added that “this six-point plan is the basis for a ceasefire, for humanitarian support. And it must be implemented urgently.”

France: "Friends of Syria" Conference a Chance to Strengthen Support to Opposition

For its part, France considered that Sunday’s “Friends of Syria” meeting would be a “chance for the international community to judge if Bashar Al-Assad's regime is implementing Kofi Annan's peace plan."

AFP quoted French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero as saying that "Bashar Al-Assad has supposedly accepted Kofi Annan's peace plan… The Istanbul meeting will be an opportunity for the international community to assess whether the regime in Damascus is applying this plan or not, respecting its commitments or not, and ending the massacres it has carried out daily for more than a year or not.”

In a news conference he held Wednesday, Valero further stated that “after months of broken promises, France and the international community will judge (Al-Assad) on his actions.”

"We demand the full implementation of the peace plan proposed by Kofi Annan, starting with the immediate end of repression,” he added, hailing “the statement by Syrian opposition factions Tuesday that they were rallying behind the Syrian National Council as their formal representative.”

Moreover, the French spokesman considered that “Sunday's meeting would also be a chance for the international community to strengthen international support for the Syrian opposition, united around the Syrian National Council.”

Russia Demands Opposition to Support Annan’s Efforts

In this context, Russia demanded the so-called Syrian opposition to “follow the example of the regime in Damascus  and support mediation efforts by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to stop the bloodshed.”

“It's extremely important that the Syrian opposition groups follow the example of Damascus and explicitly state their agreement with the peace plan of the UN and Arab League special envoy supported by the UN Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

“Such an opportunity should not be missed,” the foreign ministry said, indicating that “it goes without saying that a lot also depends on outside players, especially those who are capable of influencing the opposition in a positive way.”