DAMASCUS, (SANA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid al-Moallem on Monday sent a message to the Arab League Secretary General Nabeel al-Arabi in which he said the Syrian government would like to sign the draft protocol in Damascus based on the Arab work Plan agreed upon in Doha on October 30 2011 and the inquiries and clarifications which Syria asked the AL Secretary-General to present, in addition to the positions and observations made by Algeria and statements of head of the Ministerial Committee and al-Arabi on rejection of Foreign interference in Syrian affairs, all of which is considered an inseparable part of the draft Protocol.

The letter said that by signing the draft protocol, the Syrian government considers all resolutions issued by the AL Council with the absence of Syria to be null, including suspending its membership and sanctions imposed on it.

The letter also called on the AL General Secretariat to inform the UN Secretary-General by a written  message of the agreement and the positive results which were reached after the signing of the protocol and ask him to distribute the message to the head and members of the UN Security Council as an official document.

The Foreign Minister stressed in his message that the good will of all Arab countries including the committee members and Syria, a founding member of the AL, will play an important and effective role in coordinating between the two sides to perform this task, affirming care and seriousness in implementing what has been reached in the best possible way.

He added that this will positively reflect on the joint Arab action and return to the Arab League its position and efficiency to which every Arab citizen aspires.

Maqdisi: Arab, Regional and International Efforts Required to Overcome the Crisis but the Solution is entirely Syrian

Spokesman of the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry, Dr. Jihad Maqdisi, said that Syria is waiting for the Arab League's answer to the message sent by Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem on Sunday regarding the draft protocol of observers' mission in Syria.

In a press conference on Monday, Maqdisi added good Arab, regional and international efforts are required to come out of the crisis but the solution is entirely Syrian.

He said that what Syria has asked for neither affected the structure nor did it affect the essence of the draft protocol since Syria is keen on coordination and making this mission a success in such a way that preserves the Syrian sovereignty.

Maqdisi added that signing the draft protocol in Damascus is a positive message from Syria that we believe in the Arab solution since it aims to help Syria and not to more complicate the situation in it.

Answering a question on whether there is a change in any article of the protocol, Maqdisi said that the Foreign and Expatriates Minister has submitted a number of inquiries to which the AL Secretary General has replied.

He added that the AL agreed on a definite time period for the protocol which can be extended with the consent of the two sides and AL also accepted to change the name of the protocol.

"We enhanced the level of coordination between the Arab and the Syrian sides as we underscored other issues such as the eighth article of the AL Charter which provides for respecting the sovereignty and the political systems of the member states," he said.

"The Syrian side hopes to receive a positive answer," he added.

Regarding the number of observers to come to Syria and whether some of them are from non-Arab nationalities, Maqdisi said that it is early to talk about this issue, adding that some articles of the draft protocol defined certain number of observers in coordination with the Syrian side.

"In case the draft protocol is signed, there will be a high-level coordination," said Maqdisi, adding that the Syrian side will form a national committee to coordinate with the Arab side.

He added that the crisis in Syria was simplified and the protocol is not the salvation but it is a step towards finding a solution, hoping that this step would be followed by other steps.

He indicated that one reason for the complicated situation in Syria is the systematic instigation by media, in addition to transporting weapons into Syria and some parties' support to an opposition that rejects dialogue with the legitimate political system.

Regarding the issue of starting a dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the opposition, Maqdisi said that it is natural to hold dialogue in Damascus. We haven’t reached this point yet.

"We are committed to the Arab initiative signed in Doha and we implemented a number of its articles. We pulled out all of our army from the centers of cities and released arrested people who haven’t been convicted for murder, said Maqdisi.

He added that We did our best but there is a political movement and viewpoints in Syria and we believe that what has been offered by us cannot be rejected because it is logical.

Maqdisi highlighted, in reply to another question, the high-level coordination with Russia and Algeria and that Syria informs them about all developments related to the Syrian stance.

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