European foreign ministers insisted on Monday upon the need for a renewed political process to resolve the Syrian crisis. The meeting came two days after the air strikes conducted by the United States, with France and the United Kingdom, against the Damas regime.
EU ministers meeting at the Council of the EU in Luxembourg, indicated, “We stress that the momentum for the current situation must be used to reinvigorate the process aiming to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
It is reported in the conclusions adopted during this meeting, “The targeted air strikes comprised specific measures taken with the single aim of preventing further use, by the Syrian regime, of chemical weapons and chemical substances as weapons to kill Syrians.”
Although the 28 countries are saying that they understand the reasons for these air strikes, they are however making no attempt to justify them. Indeed European countries remain divided. At one end of the chessboard are France and the United Kingdom. At the other end “neutral” countries are positioned, whilst between the two are several NATO countries, including many which are divided over the strikes.” One diplomatic source insisted, “The statement of the 28 countries is the most which was able to be said at this point.”
Upon arrival at the Council, the Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister, Didier Reynders, had described these strikes as a “a very strong signal to show where the red line is”, whilst arguing for the implementation “of a mechanism which ensures that these types of actions are no longer necessary.”
The Brussels Times
