Venizelos calls for single European voice on Syria
Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos called for a united European position on Syria as the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers met in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss the issue on Saturday.
Venizelos also called for the EU to play a role in helping set up new peace talks between the warring sides in Syria with the aim of finding a “comprehensive and lasting” settlement.
After meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the EU ministers ended days of division on the issue with a common statement that the available intelligence “seems to indicate strong evidence that the Syrian regime is responsible for the attack,” EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said.
The EU members, most of which have been skeptical on a quick retaliatory strike against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, underscored “the need to move forward with addressing the Syrian crisis through the UN process,” Ashton said.
She hoped a “preliminary report of this first [UN] investigation can be released as soon as possible.”
