TT On-The-Go
TT Feed
| EU divided on lifting arms embargo on Syrian rebels |
|
 |
 |
 |
Font Size 
Britain is the most outspoken proponent of relaxing the arms embargo but faces opposition from some members that feel more weapons would only increase the killings and tarnish the EU's reputation as a peace broker, The Associated Press reported.
Austria's foreign minister, whose country opposes arms deliveries to the rebels, said on Monday that if there is no agreement the arms embargo would collapse.
“The positions are far apart,” said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. He said it was not clear if the EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, will reach an agreement on the issue.
Meanwhile, Damascus has agreed in principle to participate in peace talks in Geneva next month. The United States and Russia hope to bring together the government and opposition for direct talks, but the exact date, agenda and list of participants for the conference remains unclear.
Britain says that arming the opposition would create a level playing field that would force President Bashar al-Assad into a negotiated settlement.
“It is important to show we are prepared to amend our arms embargo so that the Assad regime gets a clear signal that it has to negotiate seriously,” claimed British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Austria was among the holdouts to keep the EU from providing weapons, arguing it would only acerbate an already horrific situation.
“We just received the Nobel Peace Prize and to now go in the direction of intentionally getting involved in a conflict with weapon deliveries, I think that is wrong,” Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said.
“To turn and reverse our line would not help in the conflict,” he said.
Any decision would require unanimity among the 27 member states, but failing to come up with a decision would leave options for individual member states open and show a deeply divided EU to the whole world.
“If there is no compromise, then there is no sanctions regime,” said Spindelegger. “In my view that would be fatal, also for those who now absolutely want to deliver weapons.”
Meanwhile, meeting in Istanbul since Thursday, the foreign-sponsored Syrian National Coalition (SNC) has so far failed to reach a consensus on whether to participate in the U.S.-Russian peace initiative dubbed Geneva 2.
The SNC also repeated its call for the overthrow of the legitimate government of Assad.
“We are ready to enter into negotiations that are aimed towards transferring power to the people, towards a democratic transition. And that of course means Assad cannot be a part of Syria in the future,” SNC spokesman Louay Safi said on Sunday.
Safi also accused the Syrian government of not being serious about an international peace conference on the Syrian crisis that is likely to take place in Geneva in June.
Earlier on Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Assad’s government will participate in the Geneva conference, calling it a “good opportunity for a political solution” to the two-year conflict.
Russia and the United States reached an agreement in Moscow on May 7 to convene an international conference on Syria, which would serve as a follow-up to an earlier Geneva meeting held in June 2012.
Some reports say the meeting will be held on June 10, but Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday that such reports “cannot be taken seriously” since the ranks of the Syrian opposition groups remain so divided.
On May 13, the U.S. and Britain said they had found common ground with Russia on how to proceed on Syria.
At a meeting in Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the two sides would make diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the turmoil in Syria.
The crisis in Syria began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
  Socialize this Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in touch and receive all of TT updates right in your feed reader
|
|||
