Brussels, 11/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Having met with the president of the national coalition for the Syrian revolutionary and opposition forces, Moaz al-Khatib, on Monday 10 December, the EU foreign affairs ministers encouraged the opposition - which they no longer consider as the legitimate representative of the aspirations of the Syrian people but as the “legitimate representative of the Syrian people” - to put forward its programme for political transition with a view to creating a credible alternative to the regime. They wanted the coalition to engage with the special representative, Lakhdar Brahimi - to whom the EU reiterated its support. The ministers welcomed the coalition's endeavours to set up its structures and to become more operational and more inclusive. The EU encouraged it to continue working on these objectives and to remain committed to respect for the principles of human rights, inclusivity and democracy, and to engaging with all opposition groups and all sections of Syrian civil society. The ministers said they stood ready to continue engaging with the coalition and to support it in its endeavours and its relations with the international community.
During a press conference, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said that al-Khatib had described the calibre of the coalition for an hour, and had discussed its inclusivity - including the question of its containing Kurds and Christians, and the political process. Earlier in the day, the French, Swedish and German ministers had stressed that the presence of the coalition was a step forwards in its recognition. French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius and British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the next step in this recognition will be on Wednesday during the Friends of Syria meeting in Marrakesh. Fabius also said that “2013 will be the year of free Syria”. In their conclusions, the ministers said that they await with interest the meeting of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People on Wednesday 12 December in Marrakesh “to maintain international pressure on the Syrian regime and reaffirm its support to the Syrian people's aspirations for democracy”.
The EU foreign affairs ministers also called on the United Nations Security Council to deal with the situation in Syria urgently, especially referring the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. They recalled that those responsible for crimes against humanity and for war crimes must be held accountable and that there must be no impunity for the violations and abuses.
The EU again underlined its concern with regard to the deterioration of the situation in Syria, “primarily due to the unprecedented use of force by the regime”, and condemned all the attacks “including the recent terrorist acts” that indiscriminately targeted civilians. The ministers said that they are seriously concerned about the potential use and transfer of chemical weapons in Syria, and they recalled that those who are responsible for their use - whoever they may be - will be held accountable. They also criticised the recent limitations of the use of telecommunications and internet in Syria and consider access to the media - including the internet - “of primary importance”.
The German minister of foreign affairs had earlier on Monday announced the expulsion of four collaborators from the Syrian Embassy in Berlin. (CG/transl.fl)