Hague accuses Russia and China of ‘siding with brutal regime’ in Syria

Foreign secretary says decision of Russia and China to veto UN resolution calling on Bashar al-Assad’s regime to stop violence is ‘deeply mistaken and regrettable’ William Hague, the foreign secretary, has accused Russia and China of “siding with a brutal regime” by vetoing a UN security council resolution calling on Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria to stop the violence towards its own people. Hague used his keynote speech at the Conservative party conference to describe the decision as “deeply mistaken and regrettable”. Hague spoke out against the veto as he hailed the British government’s role in the Arab spring and called on governments in the Middle East and beyond to respond to grievances from their public with “dialogue and reform, not with repression”. On the repression taking place in Syria at the hands of president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Hague said: “Last night we and our European allies tabled a resolution in the UN security council calling on the Assad regime to stop the violence in Syria, after months of utterly unacceptable killings, torture and abuses. “The decision of Russia and China to veto this resolution, and to side with the brutal regime rather than with the people of Syria is deeply mistaken and regrettable. We will redouble our efforts to work with other nations to increase the pressure on the regime wherever we can, and assure the people of Syria that they will not be forgotten.” Hague outlined Britain’s foreign policy under the coalition government, which he said was built on giving Britain “the leadership it needs to thrive as a confident, outward looking prosperous bold nation”. He also praised David Cameron for showing the “steel and humanity” needed to support the people of Libya. In a direct swipe at the Labour government and the controversy over the run-up to the Iraq invasion, Hague contrasted the approach taken to support the people’s uprising earlier this year. “When the hour of crisis came, our prime minister had the steel and the humanity to call for a no-fly zone, when others doubted. We persuaded other world leaders to join us and to act; and we sought no diplomatic shortcuts and relied on no dodgy dossier to win the argument. “Backed by the very best of British diplomacy, we secured what many said was impossible: an unequivocal UN security council resolution authorising military force, strong regional support from Arab nations, and a military operation that was limited, legal, morally right and successful. “There were those who said there was no chance of getting a security council resolution, that the situation in Libya was a stalemate and that Tripoli would not fall; but with patience and determination we and above all the Libyan people proved them wrong.” He said Britain was helping the Libyan people to rebuild their country themselves. “Not with an occupying force, but with diplomatic and technical assistance, not by imposing our blueprint, but on the basis of their own plans. We can be proud of our diplomats, our armed forces, our intelligence services and our country for helping Libyans to win their own freedom.” He said “a new, bold and ambitious relationship” needs to be fostered with the countries of the Middle East and north Africa, in the European Union, the United Nations and the G8, “so that as they grow in freedom they can join us in prosperity”. As efforts to resolve the eurozone crisis continue, Hague told Conservative delegates that the party had been right to warn at the time that entering the euro would be a disaster, and to say that no more areas of power should be handed over to Europe. He said: “Thanks to the European Union Act 2011 by law that cannot happen without a referendum. And we are just as right that the EU has no more power in our national life than it should, and I believe as strongly as I ever have that when the right moments come this party should set out to reduce it.” But Hague, a former hardline Eurosceptic, reminded delegates that he first said 14 years ago that the eurozone would become a “burning building with no exits”. But he said it was important to support the eurozone countries to quench the flames both because they are “friends and neighbours”, but also because Britain’s prosperity and financial stability is tied in with theirs. “But we will never make the mistake of thinking that anyone else can be relied upon to stand up for the interests of Britain,” he said. “We will continue to work closely with our European allies, and in particular in our defence treaties with France we have forged the closest relationship with our neighbour since the second world war. We pay tribute to the forceful and effective leadership of President Sarkozy.” But he added that Britain’s defence would continue to be “anchored in our unbreakable alliance with the United States and the primacy of Nato”. “That is why when others proposed an EU military headquarters this summer, on behalf of the United Kingdom I vetoed it.” In a well received speech, he told delegates the Conservatives had brought a new energy to British diplomacy. Highlighting the decision to reopen a language centre in the Foreign Office and to drive through a buildup of traditional diplomatic skills of negotiations and analysis, he said: “If we have these skills as a nation when we want to negotiate a treaty it will be done correctly; when we want a trade deal it will be won; when we intervene overseas we will do so successfully, and so we will ensure in 20 years’ time Britain’s Foreign Office will remain the best diplomatic service in the world.” On Afghanistan, Hague said the government would do all it could to promote reconciliation and governance in Afghanistan as Afghans increasingly take responsibility for their own security as British forces prepare to wind down their role by 2014. William Hague Russia Europe China Syria Middle East Arab and Middle East unrest United Nations Foreign policy Conservative conference 2011 Conservative conference Conservatives Bashar Al-Assad Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 5, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.