Brussels, 21/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Syria and the lifting of the arms embargo on the Syrian coalition will be on the agenda of the informal Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Dublin on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 March. However, no conclusion will be adopted on the issue as this is an informal Council. While the French and British want the arms embargo lifted, other states are more reluctant (see EUROPE 10807). High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has asked for the consequences of lifting the embargo to be examined and for the decision to be taken in cooperation with the main actors (see EUROPE 10809).
Syria will be the subject of the lunch discussion between the ministers and Ashton on Friday. This will be followed, in the afternoon, by a discussion assessing the European External Action Service following its first two years of operation. European Commissioner for Inter-institutional Relations and Administration Maros Sefcovic will also attend this discussion. On Saturday morning, the ministers are due to discuss the strengthening of EU cooperation with regional organisations. (CG/transl.fl)