Brussels, 27/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - While at the time of going to press talks are still continuing about Syria - particularly on the arms embargo - positions still seem very varied. The ministers held a first round of talks before lunch in order to express their positions before moving on to other subjects. They then returned to the issues concerning Syria.
The European External Action Service presented the ministers with three options. The first is to prolong sanctions for a year, with a revision of the arms embargo before 1 August, according to a European source. The second possibility would involve lifting all sanctions. If the member states are not in favour of lifting the sanctions, one state could play on this threat in order to push its colleagues to take a decision. The sanctions could then be taken at the national level.
The third option is a middle way. It would involve the prolongation of the arms embargo with an exemption for non-lethal equipment for the coalition for the protection of civilians - which already exists - and the possibility of lethal equipment for the coalition, on a case-by-case basis, for the protection of civilians and in conjunction with the common position of 2008, according to a European source. Yet if the decision on this option was taken during this Council, the ministers would, in a month or two - some sources speak of 1 August at the latest - have to revise this decision, which would not be implemented/ be suspended, in the meantime. This would enable examination of whether the situation is developing, in particular in conjunction with the Geneva conference, another source explains.
On leaving the Council, France's Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius stated that he supported this option. “France is in favour of solution number three, which enables an amendment to the current embargo but under conditions”, he explained. This solution allows “the resistance to have the necessary weapons and at the same time the weapons are controlled”, said Fabius before returning to Paris to meet his Russian and American counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry respectively, to discuss the Geneva conference. The United Kingdom on one side, and Austria and Sweden on the other, would hesitate on this compromise - with the UK finding it too light, and Austria and Sweden finding it goes too far. “There are principles to respect and the coalition has made its principles known. The resistance needs to fight for a free and democratic Syria, where each community can have the same rights”, Fabius replied to a question on the different between an extremist and non-extremist group.
Despite their divisions, the ministers all hoped to reach a common position, which they considered as very important. “We are waiting for the EU to be united, a power for peace and a united power. If unfortunately we showed ourselves to be divided, this would reduce our clout - including in the future Geneva negotiations”, Fabius stated. On arriving, Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle, made the same comment - just like several of his counterparts. “We will try for the EU to adopt a common position. An EU disagreement would be a bad sign”, Westerwelle said.
A European source told EUROPE that the application regulation on lifting the embargo on oil destined for the coalition - which was decided on 22 April - has still not been adopted (see EUROPE 10832). The text has still not been presented because it is very complicated, and it is difficult to know who controls the pipelines, the source added.
Fabius also stated that “the claims of the use of chemical weapons seem to be increasingly better supported”, and that there would be local use of these weapons. He added that France is checking this precisely. Journalists from Le Monde reported the same day that chemical weapons had been used by the regime. (CG/transl.fl)