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Toronto Sun, Canada
Sept 14 2013
U.S., Russia agreement on Syria a first step, says Baird
By Daniel Proussalidis ,Parliamentary Bureau
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird isn't ready to celebrate, despite
news on Saturday that Washington and Moscow had reached a deal to find
and destroy Syrian chemical weapons.
"We welcome today's developments in Geneva as a first step," said
Baird in a statement, issued while visiting Turkey.
The U.S. and Russia have agreed on a plan to see Syria to declare its
stockpiles of chemical weapons within a week and have the arsenal
destroyed by mid-2014.
Baird said he'd like to see more done to deter Syrian President Bashar
Assad from using chemical weapons.
"The Assad regime has proven time and time again that it cannot be
trusted," he said.
While in Turkey, Baird announced a symbolic upgrade of Canada's
Istanbul consulate to a consulate general.
The move comes despite Ankara's grumbling about Canada's recognition
of the systematic killings of Armenians in Turkey early in the 20th
century as "genocide."
Baird will also visit Algeria before returning to Canada.
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/14/us-russia-agreement-on-syria-a-first-step-says-baird
Sept 14 2013
U.S., Russia agreement on Syria a first step, says Baird
By Daniel Proussalidis ,Parliamentary Bureau
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird isn't ready to celebrate, despite
news on Saturday that Washington and Moscow had reached a deal to find
and destroy Syrian chemical weapons.
"We welcome today's developments in Geneva as a first step," said
Baird in a statement, issued while visiting Turkey.
The U.S. and Russia have agreed on a plan to see Syria to declare its
stockpiles of chemical weapons within a week and have the arsenal
destroyed by mid-2014.
Baird said he'd like to see more done to deter Syrian President Bashar
Assad from using chemical weapons.
"The Assad regime has proven time and time again that it cannot be
trusted," he said.
While in Turkey, Baird announced a symbolic upgrade of Canada's
Istanbul consulate to a consulate general.
The move comes despite Ankara's grumbling about Canada's recognition
of the systematic killings of Armenians in Turkey early in the 20th
century as "genocide."
Baird will also visit Algeria before returning to Canada.
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/14/us-russia-agreement-on-syria-a-first-step-says-baird