Sabra in Copenhagen to discuss possibilities of a peaceful solution

 The leader of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, George Sabra, met early today, in Copenhagen, The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Villy Søvndal, to discuss the possibilities for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria.

 The Danish Minister states, I have been looking forward to today’s meeting with the leader of the Coalition. Unfortunately, the conflict has turned even more brutal and bloody since we last met in Istanbul over a year ago. Today, we had a very constructive discussion of the situation in Syria and the prospects for a political solution. I told Mr. Sabra, that I am pleased to see the expansion of the members of the Coalition. It is an important step in consolidating the Coalition’s status as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

We also discussed the American-Russian efforts to convene a peace conference, which presents a rare opportunity that must be pursued. It is a first step towards the political solution, which we all want, and which Denmark has supported all along. I encouraged Mr. Sabra to engage constructively in the conference.  

Finally, I reassured Mr. Sabra of Denmark’s full support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition, both politically and financially. We have recently increased our non-humanitarian assistance substantially to around 10 million USD for 2013. We look forward to a strong partnership with the Coalition in the prioritisation and implementation of the funds. Denmark is also one of the largest humanitarian contributors. We have so far provided 40 million USD in humanitarian support.’