Brussels, 30/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - French President François Hollande announced on television on Tuesday 29 May that military intervention in Syria could not be ruled out “so long as it is line with international law, that is, through deliberation in the (United Nations) Security Council”. He also argued that other ways should be sought to resolve the crisis. “It will be for me and for others to convince the Russians and Chinese and also to find a solution that is not necessarily military”, he stated. He is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 June, with whom he will discuss “much stronger sanctions”. “Pressure must be applied immediately to remove the Bashar al-Assad regime. We have to find another way”, he added.
Belgian Defence Minister Pieter De Crem did not exclude his country's involvement in military intervention, conducted by an international force. “If Belgium is asked and if the government believes it necessary, then it is a possibility”, he said, stating that such a move would have to be approved by the international community and linked to a United Nations mandate, though not allowing a NATO intervention as in Libya.
United Kingdom Foreign Minister William Hague said that military intervention was not being considered. He said there was no support, no unanimity within the Security Council for intervention, adding that efforts would be focused on supporting the Annan plan and trying to achieve peaceful transition. The EU is considering further tightening of sanctions, he stated. In addition, Syrian athletes may be banned from taking part in the Olympic Games in London this summer, he suggested. His German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle, said in an interview to be published on Thursday that “there is no reason to speculate on military options. … We want to help the Syrians and avoid the fire spreading in the region.” The spokesperson for the ministry also said that the Kofi Annan plan represented “the best option for action in Syria”.
EU High Representative Catherine Ashton repeated the EU's “full support” for the Annan plan and urged the members of the UN Security Council to “remain seized of the matter”.
The United States said that intervention would not be the right decision at the moment, “as it will lead to more chaos and carnage”. Russia felt any fresh action by the UN to influence the situation was “premature”.
No European stance on expulsion of ambassadors. Spain and Bulgaria, like Turkey and Switzerland, have expelled the Syrian ambassadors. The Syrian ambassador to Belgium and the Netherlands is considered as “persona non grata” by these countries but has been allowed to remain in Brussels as he is also his country's representative to the EU, which has not decided to expel him. Greece called the Syrian ambassador to express its “disgust” and its “firm condemnation” of the Houla massacre. Romania and Poland intend to keep their ambassadors in Damascus, and Romania, like the Nordic countries, has not expelled the Syrian representatives. Romania is worried at the situation of its nationals in Syria. “Interests within the EU are too widespread for there to be agreement on a joint line”, acknowledged a European diplomat.
Russia has condemned the “counter-productive” expulsion of Syrian ambassadors. “Important channels for exchanging views and influencing the Syrian government, encouraging it to implement the Annan plan have now been closed”, said the Russian Foreign Ministry.
On Wednesday, Syria ordered the Dutch chargée d'affaires to leave the country. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that she had left Syria on Tuesday. (CG/transl.rt)