Brussels, 18/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - As an extension to the “Friends of the Syrian People” group meetings, the international working group on sanctions meeting on Tuesday 17 April in Paris, called on all the countries belonging to the Friends of the Syrian People group and all states that have not yet exerted any pressure, to begin taking measures against the Syrian regime. The working group called on them to join the efforts being made by the European Union, the Arab League, the US, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Monaco, Croatia, Iceland, Canada, Australia and Japan which have adopted sanctions, and to “further isolate the Syrian regime”. The working group explained the importance of the measures affecting the banking sector and the sales of oil. It also explained “the necessity of exercising sufficient pressure against the Syrian regime so that the Syrian authorities fully respect their obligations under the plan” devised by Kofi Annan and “implement the policy of transition”.
The group calls on business people and others who support the bloody repression to begin cutting their ties with the regime and “calls on all Syrians and organisations and civil society to publicly disassociate themselves from the human rights violations committed by the Syrian regime, which can be considered as crimes against humanity”.
The group has expressed its strong disapproval of all financial or other support, particularly continued sales of weapons.
A contact points network has also been set up to help share information about the measures adopted in order to strengthen efficiency, to examine how to improve their practical implementation, to study ways of getting over the difficulties involved with their application, and to propose additional measures on a voluntary basis.
Once the democratic transition has begun, the group is committed to developing a swift re-evaluation of the sanctions regimes, in an effort to support reconstruction in Syria.
During its meeting in Tunis on 24 February, the Friends of the Syrian People group decided to implement restrictive measures against the Syrian regime. (CG/transl.fl)