Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-12-13-Speech-2-501-000"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2011-12-13"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Situation in Syria (debate)2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20111213.32.2-501-000"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2011-12-13-Speech-2-502-0002
lpv:speaker	lp:Catherine Ashton2
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, I would like to thank all those who have taken part in this extremely important debate, where we have looked at how we can best support the people of Syria. I just want to echo again the importance of getting the UN Security Council to now move on this. We will do everything we can, but we actually need international partners to really push forward with us on this, in order that we can get the maximum effect. I just want to deal with a few of the issues that were raised. I will begin with what was said by Mr Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra at the beginning and to reassure honourable Members of the things that we are trying to do. We have strong economic sanctions, we keep them under constant review and we ratchet them up in order to try to put on as much pressure as possible. We hope that the new sanctions that the Arab League are going to put on will also have a strong effect in order to make the regime realise what they must do. That does include an oil embargo. We worked closely with the Arab League. That is why we invited Secretary-General al-Araby to come to the Foreign Affairs Council. We are supporting them in any way we can as they think about how to get monitors to do their deployment on the ground. So we have already made it clear that we will support them in any way that it is possible. The idea of a humanitarian corridor has been dropped. Some ideas come and they are looked at and examined and then it is decided that they are not going to work in the way that we wanted. Therefore, that idea is no longer on the table. It is very important – as a number of honourable Members have said – that we continue to work in the Security Council to try to get a stronger, unanimous view on what needs to happen. Indeed I did raise this when I travelled to China and I raised this with the Foreign Minister of Russia when I was in Moscow very recently. We raised the problem with Syria – the difficulties to the people of Syria – in all of our international meetings. I would just say to Ms De Keyser, we do meet with the opposition. We have met those who have come forward and asked to meet with us. We do not discriminate about whom we meet. We talk to them all, but we give the same messages about the need to be inclusive and to be supportive of the human rights of everybody who is concerned about what is happening in their country. We have made it very clear that al-Assad must go, but I must correct something that Ms Schaake and Ms Flautre both said. It was not Cyprus that blocked Turkey coming to the Foreign Affairs Council. This is totally and utterly untrue. What happened was that we were asked, we discussed the matter and I invited the Secretary-General of the Arab League. He wished to come on an institution-to-institution meeting. The previous week, I had met with the Foreign Minister of Turkey – Foreign Minister Davutoglu – and I proposed at the Foreign Affairs Council, on the day that the Arab League were coming, that at the next meeting, we should invite Foreign Minister Davutoglu. I was supported in that by everyone, including Cyprus. So please, for the record, it really is important that you understand that it was not Cyprus blocking. I did not invite them because in discussion with the Arab League, they wanted to meet institution-to-institution. Therefore, I have invited the Foreign Minister of Turkey, whom I meet and discuss these issues with a great deal. I am looking forward very much to seeing him when he comes in January. It is important, as everyone has said, to involve all groups. I am glad, Mr Karim, that you appreciate the ‘No disconnect strategy’ that has been announced today by Neelie Kroes. We are working very closely with her on that. That will be important because of the significance of technology, which a number of honourable Members have raised as well. We will continue to meet with all of the groups. Mr Belder, we do meet with the Syrian National Council. I have already met with them. It is not just Member States who meet with them, though I encourage Member States to meet with opposition parties and opposition leaders in order to get the breadth of our experience of what is happening and to look for ways in which we can support people more effectively. We are supporting the Arab League, Mr Arlacchi, in its efforts to try to move the situation on and to persuade the regime to understand what it has to do. We are very clear that al-Assad should go. We have made it very clear for some months that, frankly, if you behave in this way, if you kill your people, you have lost the rights for leadership. The important thing is to try to work with all our partners to put the pressure on."@en1
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Catherine Ashton,"1 "Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy."1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

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