Brussels, 17/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Europeans were divided on 16 March as to the chance to conduct negotiations with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in order to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted the previous day that it would be necessary to negotiate with the Syrian regime in order to put an end to the crisis.
“The European position is clear and has not changed”, said High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, stating that working on a sustainable solution for the Syrian conflict “obviously” involved talking to representatives from the Assad regime. “I imagine that John Kerry spoke along these lines. I don't think he was referring to Bashar al-Assad himself”, she said.
France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, was totally opposed to such discussions. “The solution is a political transition which must preserve the regime's institutions, not Bashar al-Assad, and integrate the opposition (…) This is the only realistic solution”, he said. “Any other solution that put Bashar al-Assad back in the driving seat would be a huge and absolutely scandalous gift to the terrorists of Islamic State”, Fabius added, stating that the millions of Syrians persecuted by the Syrian regime would end up supporting Islamic State (IS). Fabius said that he had talked to Kerry, who had assured him that there was nothing new in the US position.
Spain's foreign minister, José Garcia-Margallo, said he believed that the “Bashar al-Assad regime, and even Bashar al-Assad, should be part of the negotiation, although not be part of the solution”. “Being part of the negotiation is one thing. Being part of the solution is another”, he said.
Kerry stated on US television that “in the end, we will have to negotiate” with al-Assad, “if he is ready to commit to serious negotiations on how to apply Geneva I [the peace process]”. According to a spokesperson from the US Department of State, there has been no change in the US position and there is no future for al-Assad in Syria. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)