UN Security Council is fully behind Annan to end crisis in Syria: council president

Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the UN who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for June, said here Thursday that the 15-nation council is united in supporting the peace plan and mediation efforts of Kofi Annan, the joint UN and Arab League special envoy for Syria, to put an early end to the 16-month crisis in Syria."The council is united behind Kofi Annan's peace plan and behind his mediation efforts," Li said after the Security Council heard a briefing by Annan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the secretary-general of the Arab League, Nabil Elaraby."The council reiterated the full support to Kofi Annan's efforts and also to his six-point peace plan and urged full implementation of Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan and the UN Security Council's resolution 2042 and 2043, in particular (the) cessation of all violence without delay," Li said."The council also expressed its appreciation for the work of UNSMIS and will continue to support the work of UNSMIS," he said, referring to the UN Supervision Mission in Syria.Earlier Thursday, Annan told the UN General Assembly that his six-point plan "is not being implemented," and the situation in Syria is deteriorating.The six-point plan, widely backed by the international community and accepted by the Syrian government, calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and troops from population centers, a daily halt in fighting for the delivery of humanitarian aid and treatment for the wounded, as well as talks between the government and opposition.Xinhua/ Editor: Mu Xuequan