Brussels, 21/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 21 August, the British, French, Swedish and German foreign affairs ministers - William Hague, Laurent Fabius, Carl Bildt and Guido Westerwelle respectively - called on the Syrian regime to authorise the United Nations mission to carry out an immediate investigation into the allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the attacks the same day in the suburbs of Damascus. A UN investigation mission is currently in Syria to inspect three sites where chemical weapons attacks had reportedly taken place previously (see EUROPE 10901).
As European foreign affairs ministers were meeting in Brussels to deal with the Egyptian issue (see other article), the massacre which was reportedly carried out by Bashar al Assad's troops was not able to pass unnoticed, with initial estimates of several hundred deaths. Fabius stated that if the accusations of the use of chemical weapons were confirmed, this could be “an unprecedented atrocity” - and all the more so in the presence of the UN. Fabius then joined Westerwelle and Bildt to speak of his wish for the mission to be able to travel to the area “immediately”. His view was shared by Hague, who said he hoped that the mission might have access to the area concerned without restriction and that he wanted the UN Security Council to deal with the issue.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton also expressed her concern about the possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime and stressed that the accusations on this issue be immediately followed up by an investigation. As regards the UN mission, it should have total and unhindered access to the whole Syrian territory, Ashton reiterated, also calling on the Syrian authorities and all parties to provide the necessary support and cooperation for the mission's operations.
Fabius is due to meet the president of the Syrian national coalition during the evening of 21 August.
The voice of the Arab League was added to that of the Europeans. The Arab League also called for the investigators to extend their investigations: (MD with CG/transl.fl)