Arms embargo on Syria extended, but only for three months

(BRUSSELS2) The arms embargo on Syria will not be extended for one year but only for three months, renewable. The decision is expected to be endorsed on Thursday (November 29) by EU ministers (meeting in a Trade formation). It comes at the end of an agreement reached between the European ambassadors (meeting in Coreper) on Wednesday. This period of three months - instead of one year - " change the game “, explained to B2 a diplomat. Any decision - to extend the decision or to change the content - requires unanimity. A one-year extension would have made any discussion more difficult, forcing the State (France in particular) wishing to amend the content to obtain the consent of all the others. In the hypothesis of a regular renewal, the question may seem more trivial. This allows - during this time - " to study different measures "of partial lifting of the embargo... and to the spirits" to evolve ».