Brussels, 14/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - Concerned at the United States' announcement on 13 June that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton underlined on 14 June that this statement, along with others, “makes even more urgent our repeated calls for an agreement to immediately deploy a UN verification mission to investigate these allegations on the ground”.
In her press release, Ashton adds that these developments “can only reinforce the importance of a political solution and should accelerate the efforts of the international community to find a definitive political solution to the conflict”. “It is urgent to advance the political process, starting with the convening of the planned peace conference on Syria”, she added, although there is ever increasing uncertainty about the possibility of holding this conference.
European foreign affairs ministers will once again discuss the issue of Syria on 24 June at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. They “will examine the overall situation and recent developments in Syria, of which the alleged chemical attacks are an important factor”, said Ashton.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the United Kingdom agrees “with the US assessment that chemical weapons, including sarin, have been used in Syria by the Assad regime”. He condemned “the deplorable failure” of the Syrian regime to cooperate with the UN investigation mission. “The crisis demands a strong, determined and coordinated response from the international community. We have to be prepared to do more to save lives, to pressure the Assad regime to negotiate seriously, to prevent the growth of extremism and terrorism, and to stop the regime using chemical weapons against its people”, Hague added, saying that he will discuss this issue at the G8 summit.
According to the White House, on the basis of intelligence services reports, the Assad regime has used chemical weapons - including sarin gas - to a limited extent and on several occasions over the last year, in attacks that reportedly left 100-150 dead. The US has stressed that “red lines” have been crossed and has decided to bring military support to the Syrian opposition - but without talking of sending weapons. France and the UK made similar remarks on 4-5 June (see EUROPE 10860). The accusations of using chemical weapons have been refuted by the Syrian regime and by Russia. “We will say it clearly. What has been presented by the Americans does not seem convincing to us”, stated the diplomatic adviser to the Kremlin, Yuri Ushakov. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made the same comment. Russian experts have met American, British and French experts on this issue. (CG/transl.fl)