The EU now focused sanctions also on Syria’s leader

The EU Foreign Ministers decided on Monday to impose a travel ban on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his close circle and to freeze their funds within the European Union. “Additional measures, too, are possible after this if the sanction imposed earlier and those decided today are not effective,” said Ambassador Jan Store, Finland’s Permanent Representative to the European Union who represented Finland at the meeting. Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb was unable to attend the meeting owing to the intense Government formation talks in progress without a break.

“Syria is a case very different from the other Southern Neighbourhood countries now experiencing political turmoil. In Syria there is much agitation and the opposition is splintered; nor is there a clear leader and thus no real partner for discussion,” Ambassador Jan Store said, explaining the difficult setting.

“The situation in Syria is the hardest of all, and the country is the most difficult with regard to how the EU and the United States might be able to promote positive development. It is hard to know what should be done besides imposing sanctions,” Store stated during his press conference with Finnish media representatives. The meeting decided on a partial interruption of EU cooperation programmes in Syria and also urged the European Investment Bank (EIB) to suspend its new projects with Syria.

Seeking to bring warfare in Libya to an end

Aside from Syria, the Foreign Affairs Council decided to impose additional, supplementary sanctions on Belarus, Iran and Libya. According to Ambassador Store, the Foreign Ministers took the unanimous view that military action against the leadership of Libya should be brought to an end as soon as possible. Political pressure will continue to be exerted on the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

“The EU must also have links with the forces that presumably will soon take power in Libya. The future administration should be as ready to take over as possible before the transfer of power. The office in Benghazi just opened by the EU also serves this end,” Store said, explaining the views of the meeting.

Hopes for the Middle East

Within the EU there is satisfaction over the political agreement reached between the competing Palestinian organisations, Fatah and Hamas. “The EU has encouraged such concord for a long time. The next step is to form a Government, at first a technocratic one,” Ambassador Store stated at the press conference.

He continued that “now there is a hurry to get the peace process back on track. Clear parameters should be followed. Pressure should be created through the Middle East Quartet. Barack Obama’s policy speech on the Middle East was considered good; likewise the results of High Representative Catherine Ashton’s visit to Washington,” Store added, listing recent views concerning the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Additional information: First Secretary Johanna Birkstedt, mobile tel. +32 473 549 850; Press Counsellor Jussi Seppälä, mobile tel. +32 476 950 547