13/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Damascus objects to use of frozen assets. On 12 February, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the EU not to use Syria's frozen assets to finance the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons. This call came two days after the EU decided to release Syrian state-owned funds for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) (see EUROPE 11017). According to a source from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by Syrian Arab news agency Sana, this is “a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations and arrangements concluded by the executive council of the OPCW”. The ministry has threatened the EU that it will take the “necessary measures” should there be “abusive violation” of Syrian state-owned assets. These assets can only be used with the authorisation of their owner. According to the source, releasing the funds is “hypocrisy” because the EU member states have refused to release the Syrian assets to buy medicine and food. The source also called for the “immediate” lifting of the “immoral” sanctions against Syria. (CG/transl.fl)