Russia is the increased pressure on Assad key: UK

By Adrian Croft

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will examine, new financial, energy and transport policies can keep sanctions on Syria of his harsh crackdown on protests, but Russia the key to increasing pressure on President Bashar al-Assad, a British Minister said on Thursday.

Several round sanctions have countries of the European Union, including Britain, Assad's Government since May of the violent suppression of the unrest, including an embargo on Syrian oil and slapped a ban on new investment in the energy sector.

"We are further looking for new ways, in the areas of energy, transport, and constraints, to exert pressure on the Syrian regime" said British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt Reuters in a telephone interview.
United Kingdom would consider these possible new sanctions by the EU, and "if we get the chance," of the United Nations and said Burt, Minister responsible for the Middle East and in North Africa the Foreign Office.

"Of the triggers if Russia can be." Russia, I think, is getting increasingly isolated in his willingness, its effectiveness against Syria, "said he."

Russia and China to the veto as permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations in October to risk a Western block designed resolution, the Syrian Government over crackdown would have condemned.
"We continue to talk more of what they can do with them (Russia) about." If they are not prepared, UN sanctions, as they are willing to do? We continue to independently use we can because the killing must stop, "said Burt."

Russia, a major arms supplier for Syria, called Western criticism of his actions against Damascus in the UN Security Council "immoral."

Navi Pillay, the United Nations human rights Chief, said this week that the death toll exceeded unrest in Syria 5,000 in nine months.

NEW IRAN SANCTIONS LIKELY
Burt also said that he expected that EU Foreign Ministers agree, end of January, however, that he did not know whether they would be an embargo on Iranian oil agree to new sanctions against the Iran at their next meeting. Britain said an EU ban on Iranian oil "supports", he.

Iran faces increasing international isolation of the nuclear energy program, which in the West believes that will produce atomic bombs. Tehran says that the program is very quiet.

"I think the sanctions prove to this day are to be successful." We know, that Iran is increasingly desperate to fund its nuclear program. "The banking and financial sectors are restrictions, the effects but we believe that more should be done and could and we press for it to be", said Burt.

United Kingdom close the Iranian Embassy in London and all its employees sold, after the British Embassy in Tehran last month was attacked by a crowd of Britain angry sanctions imposed. The Tehran Embassy closed UK and evacuated its employees.

Burt said it is too early if no conditions for the restoration of normal diplomatic relations with the Iran the United Kingdom.

"We really feel that this is not for us." It was plundered and destroyed our message... "I don't think it is Iran for the United Kingdom begin overtures, and we have no intention to do so," he said.

Although not bilateral issues with the Iran are discussing United Kingdom was, wanted to keep open channels for participation in multilateral talks with the Iran, especially on the nuclear issue, he said.

He said he hoped talks between the Iran and six major powers, including Great Britain, continue on Tehran's nuclear program could be "but the ball is Court in the Iranians." , In January, not even on an agenda some of the last betting round of the talks.