Brussels, 19/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the Foreign Affairs Council on 19 November, the EU27 was due to discuss recognition of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. As we went to press, the EU was expected to welcome the formation of the coalition, but the question of recognition of it as a legitimate representative of Syrians was still in the balance.
Upon his arrival at the Council, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that there was no problem with recognition as such, but the wording needed to be decided upon. He said the vote to appoint the head of the opposition was a strong signal and a step forwards and he was truly a legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the question of recognition of the Coalition would be discussed later in the week by the British parliament and it was something he would be discussing with parliament rather than at the meeting on Monday. He hoped the Council would encourage the opposition movement. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle suggested a meeting of Friends of Syria before the end of the week to discuss and decide on the next step vis-a-vis the Coalition.
The arms embargo will not be included in the conclusions document, and ministers revealed their disagreements ahead of the meeting. France wants an exception made to the embargo for defensive weapons for the opposition, but Sweden's Carl Bildt and Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn opposed any lifting of the embargo. Asselborn said that more arms would mean more deaths and he was not convinced that getting arms to Syria was a solution, calling instead for a political solution. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders was more equivocal, saying that more had to be done and perhaps it might be possible in a few weeks to work with the opposition in free areas with “different tools”. (CG/transl.fl)