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G8 summit: Prime Minister Stephen Harper hails compromise on Syria

LOUGH ERNE, Northern Ireland — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says G8 countries, including Russia, are “all on the same page now” when it comes to Syria — although that remains to be seen — as they issued a united call for the resumption of peace talks, for moving to a new transitional government and for ending the use of chemical weapons in the war-torn country.

It appears, however, there may still be some disagreement between Russia and the remaining bloc of G8 countries on the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad, with reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to allow Assad’s name or any clear demand for him to relinquish power to be placed in the final statement.

Canada and its G8 allies, however, believe that any agreement for a “transitional” Syrian government means moving away from the current Assad regime.

The agreement by all G8 nations, including Syrian ally Russia, on how to respond to the Syrian crisis was a surprise to Harper, who just two days ago said Russia was turning the G8 into the “G7 plus one” because he supported the “thugs” in the Assad regime.

“We have a very different outcome here and a much better outcome than I thought we were going to have. We don’t have, as I said, G7 plus one. We have a genuine G8 statement,” Harper told reporters Tuesday after the summit wrapped up at the Lough Erne golf resort.

“It is very clear that what the Russians have moved towards, what all of us have said, is that we now want to see a transition in Syria. And I think it’s spelled out very clearly — a transition to a government that is broadly representative. I don’t think that can be interpreted in any way, shape or form as support for the current regime as it is. So I think this was a very significant move on the part of Mr. Putin and the Russians,” the prime minister added.

Harper said Canada and its G8 partners are now looking to get “responsible people” from both the Syrian government and opposition back to the Geneva peace table as soon as possible to transition to a new government.

“I think we’re all on the same page now. As I say, this is not just different from what I would have thought a couple of days ago in Dublin, but certainly very different from what we heard when Mr. Putin met Mr. Cameron in London,” the prime minister added.

“So, I think there has been a real shift here, and I hope it’s real, and obviously we’re going to work to make sure it is.”

The Group of Eight leaders, including Russia, pledged Tuesday on the final day of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland to work together to find a resolution to the two-year-old Syrian conflict that has killed more than 93,000 people and produced 1.6 million refugees.

“We are determined to work together to stop the bloodshed and loss of life in Syria and to support the Syrian people to establish peace and stability through political means,” the G8 leaders, including Putin, said in their statement.

Russia agreed to the final statement, which said G8 members “strongly endorse the decision” to get the Assad regime and opposition forces to the table for peace negotiations, and “implement fully” the agreed actions from Geneva peace talks held in June 2012, including ending the violence and moving to “a transitional governing body.”

However, sources said that Putin refused to sign any statement that specifically said Assad must give up power.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, the summit host, said many of those who have been Assad’s allies in the past are slowly realizing it’s “literally unthinkable” that he could continue to lead a unified Syria into the future considering the accusation that he has used chemical weapons on his own people.

“It is an important agreement, again, not something I think that has been said before with such clarity by the Russians on the one hand, the British, French and Americans on the other. It has now been said, and it’s a good thing it has been said,” Cameron told reporters in the closing news conference.

While Russia’s future relations with Assad remain unclear, all eight member countries, including Canada, laid out their plans for how to reduce the bloodshed.

In doing so, they condemned the ongoing human rights violations in Syria by both sides and “any use of chemical weapons in Syria,” which the United States says the Assad regime has committed on opposition forces.

In what was a concession from Russia, the G8 leaders are together calling for the United Nations to be permitted access on the ground “in order to conduct an objective investigation into reports of use of chemical weapons.”

“We are determined that those who may be found responsible for the use of chemical weapons will be held accountable,” the leaders said.

“We also condemn in the strongest possible terms all human rights violations and abuses in Syria, committed by anyone, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians.”

All parties said they’re also “deeply concerned” by the growing threat from terrorism and extremism in Syria, which has seen Hezbollah fighters backing the government and Islamist extremists fighting within the rebels.

They called on the Syrian government and opposition to get back to table for the Geneva peace talks and jointly “commit to destroying and expelling from Syria all organizations and individuals” affiliated to al-Qaida and other non-state actors linked to terrorism.

Also, the G8 leaders have committed almost $1.5 billion in additional funding at the summit for humanitarian aid for Syria and neighbouring countries, with an understanding that more funding will be needed.

Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday their “opinions do not coincide” on the bloody Syrian civil war but that they’ve agreed to “push” the Assad regime and opposition forces back to the negotiation table for peace talks.

“Of course, our opinions do not coincide, but all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria and to stop the growth of victims and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiations table in Geneva. We agreed to push the parties to the negotiations table,” Putin said Monday following his meeting with Obama.

Putin has warned Western countries against their plans to arm opposition forces, but the Russian and U.S. leaders found some common ground on the need for getting the Assad regime and rebels back to the table for Geneva peace talks that could restart possibly next month.

“We do have different perspectives on the problem, but we share an interest in reducing the violence, securing chemical weapons and ensuring they are neither used nor are they subject to proliferation, and that we want to try to resolve the issue through political means, if possible,” Obama said Monday following his meeting with Putin.

The United States has already announced plans to ship small arms to the rebels, with Britain and France also considering providing military aid to the opposition — something Assad has vowed would be a big mistake.

Harper maintains Canada is not, “at the present time,” planning to arm the Syrian opposition — but has not ruled it out.

Harper took five questions from Canadian reporters Tuesday.

jfekete@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/jasonfekete


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