Brussels, 12/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The EU-Syria association agreement may be signed in the very near future but there can never be complete certainty about this dossier, as it is linked to the regional situation. Signature has been awaited for nearly 5 years now (the agreement was initialled in 2004 and then a second time end December 2008). According to Syrian media, however, the prospect of agreement does not delight the Israelis, who have reacted with “dismay”. “How can the European Union pretend to ignore what is happening in Syria to this extent, and what game is this country playing in the international arena? This is just one more demonstration of European double-talk!”, an official from the Foreign Ministry declared, cited by “Israel Alley”, an electronic news media. “Israeli incredulousness is all the greater as this rapprochement between the European Union and a country like Syria, which just a little while ago was considered a terrorist state, goes hand in hand with a cooling of relations with Israel”, it writes.
In Brussels, however, one is convinced that there is no longer a risk of seeing the issue rebound. Syria has received consequential aid to lighten the burden caused by the huge numbers of Iraqi refugees. Programmes in support of reforms are underway and the EIB has engaged in business support programmes in this country. The only thing still lacking is the framework for allowing Syria to enter the association policy, which must be simply sealed by a signing ceremony before compulsory ratification by the European Parliament and national parliaments (it being a joint agreement).
It has been necessary to wait for the lifting of successive reservation by the French - because of the Hariri affair named after the assassinated Lebanese prime minister, a dossier that is still being examined by international jurisdiction - and the British, without counting the various different approaches of a more political than technical nature. Each time, they had resulted in delaying the formal signature of the agreement until the summit in Paris in July 2008, creating the Union for the Mediterranean during which Syria was officially absolved. Further reservation, from the Netherlands, did appear during this year, however, on issues relating to human rights. This last hurdle was crossed last week. EU permanent representatives in Brussels agreed there was no longer any obstacle to officially sealing the agreement. Contacts are in progress with Damascus in order to set a date for the signing ceremony. The Swedish presidency-in-office has suggested 25 October, on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. (F.B./transl.jl)