In a statement published on Tuesday 17 April, the leaders of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and USA) and the EU gave their support to the airstrikes conducted by the USA, France and UK on 13 April against three sites linked to the chemical weapons programme of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, in response to a suspected chemical attack in Douma on 7 April.
"We (...) are united in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the use of chemical weapons in the April 7 attack in Eastern Ghouta, Syria", the statement says.
"We fully support all efforts made by the United States, the United Kingdom and France to degrade the Assad regime’s ability to use chemical weapons and to deter any future use, demonstrated by their action taken on April 13", the statement adds.
For the leaders of the G7 and the EU, "this response was limited, proportionate and necessary – and taken only after exhausting every possible diplomatic option to uphold the international norm against the use of chemical weapons".
"Use of chemical weapons is a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention and constitutes a threat to international peace and security", the leaders state, condemning the Assad regime's "deliberate strategy of terrorising local populations and forcing them into submission" through the repeated use of chemical weapons, which has been confirmed by the independent international investigators.
"Syria’s possession of chemical weapons and their means of delivery are illegal under UN Security Council Resolution 2118 and the Chemical Weapons Convention", the leaders state.
"We stand together against impunity for those who develop or use these weapons, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances", they add.
The leaders of the G7 and EU reiterated their commitment to a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Syria, commending the UN Special Envoy’s efforts towards an inclusive and credible political transition in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
On Monday 16 April, the European foreign affairs ministers gave moderate support to the Western airstrikes targeting the Syrian regime (see EUROPE 12002). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)