Brussels, 22/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU Foreign Affairs Council is expected on Friday 23 March to beef up sanctions against the Syrian regime, in particular against a number of members of the Assad family, including Asma, the wife of Bashar, according to diplomats. A visa ban and freezing of assets is likely to be imposed on 11 other individuals. Asma al-Assad, who also holds UK nationality, will not be banned from entering the EU but will have her assets frozen.
Diplomats decided to impose sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's wife after the publication by The Guardian on Wednesday 14 March of thousands of emails from the al-Assads which made clear that Asma was continuing to purchase luxury goods in Europe. If adopted, the sanctions will become effective from Saturday 24 March, with their publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Security Council statement, an important step. At the Council, ministers will also discuss the decision by the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday 21 March to express its support for Special Envoy Kofi Annan. “This unanimous statement reinforces his efforts to stop the violence and facilitate a peaceful Syrian-led and inclusive solution in Syria”, Catherine Ashton said on Wednesday 21 March. She again urged the Syrian regime “to fully cooperate with Kofi Annan” and encouraged the Security Council members to “continue working in this direction”. France and Sweden have welcomed the unanimous support give by the Security Council. The Security Council “is beginning to assume its responsibilities after months of inertia”, France stated, calling on the Syrian authorities “finally” to respond to the demands of the international community and to cooperate with Annan. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said that the adoption of the statement was an important step.
The Syrian National Council (SNC), on the other hand, was highly critical of it: “Statements such as this, adopted when the killing is still going on, give Assad the opportunity to continue his policy of destruction to crush the revolution of the Syrian people.” The SNC would have preferred to have seen a “strong dissuasive resolution on the regime”. (CG/transl.rt)