Brussels, 09/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 9 July, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, announced that he had reached an agreement with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at their meeting, on an “approach” to be put to the opposition to end the violence. “We talked about the need for an end to violence and how to achieve this. We agreed on an approach that I will share with the armed opposition”, he explained, stressing that he would continue dialogue through his team on the ground. The regime assured Annan of its commitment to apply his six-point plan, which has so far not succeeded.
On Sunday 8, the high representative of the EU foreign affairs strongly condemned the Syrian shelling on the border with Lebanon the day before, which left at least two dead and many more injured. “The repeated incursions must stop immediately”, said Catherine Ashton, calling on the regime to “respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty” of its neighbours. She stressed that the “regime's brutality has had tragic effects in Syria and serious repercussions in neighbouring countries, including Lebanon.” Ashton also commended Lebanon for its support to Syrians fleeing the violence in their country and reiterated the EU's support to help Lebanon cope with the situation.
Cyprus prepares for massive waves of arrivals. On Saturday 7 July, Cypriot Home Affairs Minister Eleni Mavrou announced that her country was preparing for the evacuation from Syria of Europeans and citizens of third countries, estimated at 200,000 people, “not counting Syrians calling for protection”. The country has planned to carry out a drill for this evacuation in October. “When we decided on this exercise, the situation in Syria was calmer. I just hope that we will not have to carry out a real evacuation” rather than just an exercise, the minister said. “We are expecting and preparing for arrivals in large numbers”, she added, stressing that “all the authorities have prepared an action plan”.
Mavrou said that for the time being, arrivals of Syrians are still in low numbers. “A few families have arrived via the 'buffer zone' (separation zone between the Republic of Cyprus and northern Cyprus)”, she said, already calling for European solidarity in the event of a mass influx. The situation in Syria will be discussed over lunch at the informal Council if justice and home affairs ministers on 24-25 July.
For her part, Ashton told Agence Europe that she had discussed the situation during her visit to the island and that the director of the crisis response department of the EEAS, Agostino Miozzo, is in Cyprus from Monday 9th to see the various action resources available with the island's authorities. She also pointed out that a European delegation is still present in Syria and that it will remain there until security is assured.
According to the High Commission for Refugees, more than 100,000 Syrians have fled the country to Turkey (35,500), Jordan (30,000) and Iraq (6500), but Jordan claims to have received more than 120,000 refugees already, with numbers still rising. (CG/transl.fl)