Brussels, 13/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said that she had “learned today with great sadness of the tragic death on 12 March of Ahmad Shihadeh, a policy officer at the EU Delegation in Syria. He was killed during a rocket attack on the Damascus suburb of Deraya, where he lived”. In a press release, Ashton said that “Ahmad was known for his courage and selflessness” and she offered her condolences to his family, friends and colleagues from the delegation.
Mr Shihadeh was a 32-year-old Syrian and had been working at the delegation for five years. He continued to work there even after the final departure of the last remaining expatriates in December. He was responsible for economic and commercial questions and also worked on political issues.
As the conflict marks its second anniversary on 15 March, the high representative called once again on all the different parties to take urgent measures to put an end to the violence. More than 100,000 people have died and more than 1 million people have sought refuge in countries neighbouring Syria. (CG/transl.fl)