On Thursday 30 August, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called for restraint at a time when the province of Idlib is under the threat of an offensive from the Syrian army, supported by Russia.
When she arrived at the informal meeting of the European foreign affairs ministers in Vienna, Mogherini said that she fully subscribed to the call of UN Secretary General António Guterres. The previous day, Guterres said he was "deeply concerned at the growing risks of a humanitarian disaster in the event of a large-scale military operation in the province of Idlib". He urged the Syrian government and all parties to the conflict to show restraint and to prioritise the protection of civilians.
For Mogherini, "Syria does not need further bloodshed".
The province of Idlib is the last bastion held by moderate rebels and radical Islamists. Nearly three million people live in the region, half of whom have fled from other rebel provinces re-taken by the regime. Around 10,0000 are reportedly fighters from al-Nusra and al-Qaeda.
The situation in Syria is one of the subjects on the agenda of the ongoing informal ministerial meeting (Gymnich). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)