EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg on April 3 to discuss the future of Syria.
Their meeting comes two days before a conference in Brussels also dedicated discussing the future of the country. The conference will be co-chaired by the European Union, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, and the United Nations.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears to have the upper hand in the war, with Russia’s support.
The EU has been pushing for a political transition in Syria.
The EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said a political agreement on the country’s governance and transition must be achieved, but it has to be one that all Syrians agree upon, including the opposition. The most recent round of peace talks involving all sides of the conflict had just wrapped up over the weekend.
“Whatever agreement can be found on that respect we will support it. It’s for Syrians to decide but for all Syrians to decide,” she said.
The French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Syria’s political transition should result in a unified country that can rebuild itself and allow the return of refugees. He said the future of such as Syria cannot involve current President Bashar al-Assad.
“He has such a responsibility in the current situation with more than 300,000 dead, prisoners, people tortured, a ruined country. So I think it is a question of responsibility,” said Ayrault.
Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on the other hand said the union should focus less on Assad on more on its own role in helping Syria move forward.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel cautioned against focusing only on fighting terrorism and the ISIS and neglecting humanitarian aid. He stressed the importance of creating a stable environment for the people in Syria.
“People will leave the region again and come to us in Europe if they don’t find help there. I think it’s one of the big tasks we have,” he said.
The EU has taken in some 1.6 million refugees and migrants since 2014. Most of the refugees are from Syria.
It has also has spent about US$10 billion (9.4 billion euros) on various Syria-related projects over the last six years. The bloc has threatened not to pay for reconstruction work if Moscow and Damascus crush the Western-backed opposition entirely.
