23 May 2012

UN / TERZI DE SANT’AGATA

Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi de Sant’Agata said today that at this point there is no "plan B or C" for Syria, but noted that Kofi Annan's six-point plan is not open ended and its outcome should be evaluated by the Security Council after 90 days. On the European economy, he said that "growth can be fully compatible with budgetary discipline." UNTV

Posted at: May 23, 2012 6:16 pm

Duration: UN / TERZI DE SANT'AGATA

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STORY: UN / TERZI DE SANT'AGATA
TRT: 1.54
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 MAY 2012, NEW YORK

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

23 MAY 2012, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi de Sant'Agata walks up to the stakeout position:
3. Med shot, camera man
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Giulio Terzi de Sant'Agata, Foreign Minister, Italy:
"Growth is fully compatible, and the measures that are leading to growth of our economies are fully, can be fully compatible with the principle of budgetary discipline. And therefore I believe that now the effort after all the political developments that we saw in different European countries, but not only in Europe, we are profoundly convinced in Italy that the agenda for growth now is the highest priority."
5. Wide shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Giulio Terzi de Sant'Agata, Foreign Minister, Italy:
"We have to look at the implementation, full implementation of the Annan plan. The forces, the Syrian forces, should withdraw, they should have withdrawn already a number of weeks ago, but that time is yesterday, it's not tomorrow. Violence must stop completely. The political solution must be the priority, with involvement of all components of the Syrian opposition."
7. Zoom out, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Giulio Terzi de Sant'Agata, Foreign Minister, Italy:
"We cannot anticipate plan B or C and give the impression that we accept this plan, and we work for this plan, we contribute for this plan, we are sending also a number of Italian observers, they are already deployed, with mental reservations or political reservations. So we do everything we can to support it. But as Kofi Annan said, it is not open ended. There are 90 days and after this period of time we have to discuss very seriously in the Security Council what is the outcome of this engagement."
9. Med shot, camera man
10. Zoom out, Terzi de Sant'Agata walks away from the stakeout position.

STORYLINE:

Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi de Sant'Agata briefed reporters today (23 May) after his statement to the high level General Assembly meeting on the role of Member States in mediation.

On the European economy, Terzi de Sant'Agata stressed that "the measures that are leading to growth" of the European economies "can be fully compatible with the principle of budgetary discipline."

He noted that "after all the political developments that we saw in different European countries, but not only in Europe, we are profoundly convinced in Italy that the agenda for growth now is the highest priority."

On the situation in Syria, the Italian Foreign Minister said the Government's forces "should have withdrawn already a number of weeks ago" but insisted that "the political solution must be the priority, with involvement of all components of the Syrian opposition."

He noted that at this point there is no "plan B or C" if The Joint UN AU Special Envoy Kofi Annan's six-point plan were to fail.

Terzi de Sant'Agata pointed out that Italy is contributing to this plan by deploying "a number of Italian observers" to Syria, but noted that Annan's plan "is not open ended" and after a period of 90 days "we have to discuss very seriously in the Security Council what is the outcome of this engagement."

A protest movement – similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa – has claimed over 9,000 lives in Syria, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands since it began in March 2011.

The violence in the Middle Eastern country led to the Security Council authorizing the establishment of UNSMIS, with up to 300 unarmed military observers, for an initial period of 90 days. Spread out in various locations, the observers are tasked with monitoring the cessation of violence and supporting the full implementation of the six-point plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan.

Annan's six-point plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.