6 Dec 2012

BAGHDAD / BAN KI-MOON

On a visit to Iraq, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria and urged the Iraqi government to continue to keep the borders open to enable Syrian refugees and Iraqi returnees to seek safety in Iraq. UNAMI

Posted at: December 6, 2012 7:02 pm

Duration: 01:20

Available in: SD

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STORY: BAGHDAD / BAN KI-MOON
TRT: 1.20
SOURCE: UNAMI
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 6 DECEMBER 2012, BAGHDAD, IRAQ

SHOTLIST:

6 DECEMBER 2012, BAGHDAD, IRAQ

1. Wide shot, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki at press conference
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The ongoing impasse between political blocs is a disservice to the people of Iraq, who look to their leaders to deliver a better future. I also expressed hope that divergences over disputed territories in Northern Iraq can be resolved. There is no alternative to peaceful coexistence within a united federal Iraq. The United Nations Assistance Mission (UNAMI) stands ready to help reach this goal. We discussed the situation in Syria and its impact on Iraq. I am particularly concerned about the humanitarian situation. I thank the Government of Iraq for its generosity and hospitality towards Syrian refugees. I urge the Government to continue to keep the borders open to enable Syrian refugees and Iraqi returnees to seek safety in Iraq."
3. Wide shot, Ban and al-Maliki at press conference

STORYLINE:

Meeting with Iraqi leaders today (6 December), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon raised concerns about political divisions in the country, and also urged the Iraqi government to keep borders open so that refugees can seek safety from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

At a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Ban referred to an ongoing political stalemate involving the country's Shia, Sunni Muslim and ethnic Kurdish parities, saying the impasse was a "disservice to the people of Iraq, who look to their leaders to deliver a better future."

He also touched on what he called "divergences" over disputed territories in the country's north, where differences linked to oil and land rights between the Iraqi federal government and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government have surfaced.

"There is no alternative to peaceful coexistence within a united federal Iraq," Ban said.

In response to questions at the press conference, Ban later went on to reiterate his "gravest concern" about Syria's chemical weapons and recent reports of plans for their possible use. He said he had written again to President Bashar al-Assad urging him to refrain from the use of any such weapons, and stressed that whoever decided to use such weapons "will have to be brought to justice".