UK welcomes Arab moves to resolve situation in Syria

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague paid tribute tonight to the Arab League's efforts to pursue their initiative to stop the violence in Syria.Commenting on the Arab League's announcement that the Syrian government had agreed to the Arab League's plan for addressing the situation in Syria, Hague said: "As the Arab League has made clear, it is vital that the plan is implemented quickly and fully". In a statement, the Foreign Secretary stressed that "action should be verifiable and sustained". He insisted that the first step must be to stop the violence and repression, without which all other measures are meaningless. The minister made it clear that the UK continues to believe that President Assad of Syria "should step aside and allow the Syrian people to realise their aspirations for greater freedom, dignity and a more open political system".