Luxembourg, 23/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 23 April, EU foreign affairs ministers decided once again to toughen up measures against the Syrian regime by introducing further restrictions on the export of equipment, goods and technology that could be directly used in repression by the regime or used to manufacture materials for this purpose. Some of these products will be banned and others will be subject to a case-by-case authorisation procedure.
The Council also agreed to ban sales of luxury products to Syria and thus symbolically target the lifestyle of the al-Assad family. It will be adopting implementing legislation for defining what products will be covered by these two measures. This is the 14th raft of measures against Syria in little over a year and will be officially published in the EU Official Journal on 24 April.
In addition to sanctions, ministers are calling on the international community to apply and reinforce restrictive measures and sanctions against Syria. They also welcome the UN Security Council resolutions of 14 and 21 April, which authorise the deployment of an advanced mission of 30 observers, followed by a further 300 observers, to the country and call for the immediate and comprehensive implementation of these resolutions.
The Council reiterated its appeal to the Syrian government to authorise the deployment of these missions and to fulfil its commitments by authorising immediate, free and comprehensive access for humanitarian organisations and full respect of the Kofi Annan six-point plan. Ministers also called for the opposition to support this plan and set up a platform consisting of all the different opposition groups, under the auspices of the Arab League “to push forward their common vision for an inclusive and ordered society and peaceful transition in Syria”. (CG/transl.fl)