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Bashar will fall and give an account (A. Juppé). His 5 tracks on Syria

(BRUXELLES2 in Strasbourg) Alain Juppé wanted to be determined before the MEPs of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday (15 February). " Bashar al-Assad will fall. he will have to account for the slaughter of his people. » What is happening in Syria right now is “unacceptable, deeply shocking. This could remain a stain on the work of the United Nations (if we do not act)” explained the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. “The European Union is today united in supporting the Arab League and strengthening the Syrian opposition. » And to draw, in front of the MEPs, a sort of European roadmap on Syria.

First Track: The Group of Friends of Syria. “Alongside the 13 (states) who voted for the draft resolution, blocked by Moscow and Beijing, all our regional allies and of course Turkey, I call on the EU to lend its full support to the group of friends of the Syrian people" which will meet on February 24 in Tunis. This is the first track. This group has a clear objective: to increase the pressure on the countries which are blocking the Council and on Bashar el Assad. It's a bit the same as for Libya except that we had a military intervention and a United Nations resolution. »

Second track: the resolution presented to the GA of the United Nations by Egypt and Arab countries. " It is supported by the EU, the 27 are united on the subject. It will only be a declaratory text. Because the GA has no decision-making power. But it will be an important gesture. »

Third track: the peacekeeping force. The Europeans and Arabs are working on a new Security Council resolution allowing the dispatch of a peacekeeping force, as officially requested by the Arab League. " We do not yet see all the contours well. It will not be under chapter VII (recourse to the use of force), under chapter VI (observation). I asked that this mission be on a humanitarian mission, or on the idea of ​​humanitarian corridors launched by the Arab League. But I fear a (new) veto from Russia” he added. After Strasbourg, the minister must fly to Vienna, where he will meet tomorrow (Thursday February 16), his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a key man in international relations today, whether for Syria or Iran. " I intend to use the force of conviction. » he explained to some journalists in a corridor of Parliament after the hearing. " Russia cannot remain isolated. It is not a good thing. His veto makes the massacre of the population continue. » From a French diplomatic source, however, we do not expect any major progress from Moscow, the “current electoral campaign in Russia does not really contribute to it”, explained to B2 a diplomat.

Fourth track: help the opposition to unite”. “This one is split between those who are inside and outside, those who are armed and those who are not. There are different communities. » explains Alain Juppé.

Fifth track: sanctions. " The EU was the first to sanction Bashar al-Assad and the accomplices of these crimes against humanity when Russia and China continue to prevent the Security Council A few days after the contact group meeting, the EU Foreign Affairs Council is expected to establish (February 27) a new set of sanctions, the eleventh, “with new, very harsh sanctions he clarified.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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