France handed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council to Germany on Saturday, Sept 1, a day after Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle promised to push the council to further isolate the Syrian regime, according to Deutsche Welle.

During a visit to Hong Kong on Friday, Westerwelle condemned the council's failure to take firm action against President Bashar Assad's brutal suppression of a 17-month uprising. He described China and Russia's veto of three Security Council resolutions on the conflict as nothing less than a "blockade."

But he noted that it was clear the international community was edging closer to the "continued isolation of the Assad regime," during this week's summit of non-aligned countries in Iran. He was referring in part to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's offer of support for the Syrian opposition movement as the summit opened on Thursday.

"Above all, I welcome the fact that President Mohammed Morsi addressed the Assad regime with such clear words in Tehran" he said.

Morsi said his country had a "moral obligation" and "political necessity" to show "solidarity with the Syrian people against a regime that lost its legitimacy," prompting a walkout from the Syrian delegation.

Germany is due to end its two-year tenure as one of 10-non permanent members of the UN Security Council at the end of this year. It will not be eligible for immediate re-election. Permanent council seats are held by Russia, China, the US, France and Britain.