China and Brazil Concerned about Syria Situation; Urge End to Violence Soon

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff during his visit to Brazil. The two countries issued a joint statement after the meeting, declaring that China and Brazil are deeply concerned about the domestic situation in Syria and again advocated for the violence to end soon and the start of political dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully.

According to the statement, both sides firmly insist on the effective implementation of the six-point peace plan for Syria developed by Kofi Annan, the joint U.N. and Arab League special envoy. The two countries also called for the cessation of violence and human rights violations, the opening of humanitarian assistance channels and the start of a comprehensive political process to end the crisis and meet reasonable demands of the Syrian people through dialogue and negotiation. Both sides stressed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In their joint statement the Chinese and Brazilian leaders also highlighted the core role that the U.N. plays in peacefully resolving crises in Africa and the Middle East.

Regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, the two sides emphasized the importance and urgency of restarting negotiations, pressing the international community to further support the dialogue between Israel and Palestine, overcome current difficulties and promote the restart of negotiations. Both leaders held that the quartet should inform the U.N. Security Council and then the international community of its progress.

The statement also welcomed Iran to restart dialogue on peacefully resolving the Iranian nuclear issue with the other six countries and encouraged each side to continue to gradually build mutual trust. China and Brazil also encouraged Iran to engage in dialogue and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The two countries stressed that Iran maintains the right to peacefully utilize nuclear energy if it complies with the relevant provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.