Brussels, 19/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 19 October, the European Council “strongly condemned” the shelling of Turkish territory by Syrian forces and called on all parties present to prevent escalation of the conflict. It also urges the Syrian authorities to “fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty” of all neighbouring countries.
Underlining how appalled they are by the deterioration of the situation in Syria, the heads of state and government say that “all parties should put an end to all forms of violence” and take special measures to protect all vulnerable groups. The leaders state that those responsible for violations of international human rights law must be held accountable. During his press conference, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy added that unprecedented use of force against civilians by the Syrian regime does nothing more than aggravate the violence and instability in the region. Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy explained that it was necessary to prevent the conflict from spreading.
Support for special envoy and humanitarian aid. Fully supporting the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi, the special envoy, to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, the heads of state and government explain that “all key actors, notably those in the region and all members of the United Nations Security Council, should uphold their responsibilities and lend their support to the joint representative's endeavours”.
Stressing that the EU will continue to provide humanitarian assistance and call on all fund donors to step up their contributions, the Council calls on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, including the inviolability of all medical facilities, all medical personnel and vehicles, and allow full and safe access for the delivery of humanitarian aid in all parts of the country.
Unification of the opposition and future of the country. The heads of state and government also underline that “all opposition groups should agree on a set of shared principles in order to achieve an inclusive, orderly and peaceful transition”.
They point out that the EU is resolved to cooperate closely on all aspects with international partners so that aid may be rapidly carried to Syria once transition has taken place. The EU also undertakes to intensify its support to ensure that civil society has the necessary means for taking part in the Syria of tomorrow.
Finally, the heads of state and government approve the conclusions and the sanctions adopted by their foreign ministers on 15 October to bolster sanctions against the Syrian regime and against persons and entities close to that regime (see EUROPE 10710). (CG/LC, transl.jl)