European Union (EU) foreign ministers

Mogherini: Situation in Syria deteriorating

16/02/2018

BRUSSELS-- European Union (EU) foreign ministers held an "important discussion" on Syria during their informal meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, Friday.

"We see the situation on the ground is deteriorating even if it doesn't hit the headlines of the media so often now, the war is still going on and the humanitarian situation is dramatic," EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told a news conference after the end of the two-day informal meeting.

She noted that the EU will focus on two key elements on the next conference on Syria that Brussels will host together with the UN in April.

First and foremost the humanitarian support to Syrians both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries, namely Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey and, maybe even more importantly, the support to the UN-led political process in Geneva, said the EU foreign policy chief.

"We see this as the only way to start a credible transition - a political transition in the country -, that can be the only basis for a Syria that is home to all Syrians. Our support, as European Union, continues to be vital for the Syrian opposition in their preparations for the talks in Geneva," she said.

Mogherini said the EU ministers also discussed the ongoing Turkish military offensive in northern Syria and expressed concern about the civilian casualties, humanitarian consequences, but also recognizing Turkey's legitimate concerns. She stressed that the focus of the military operation should be against IS.

On her part, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, whose country holds the current EU Presidency, told the joint press conference that today they had the opportunity to discuss the different fields of action together with the countries in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

The foreign ministers of the 28 EU member states yesterday discussed the strategy of the European Commission for the countries of the Western Balkans, she added.