EU Ready for Key Role in Syrian Crisis Settlement Under UN

The EU is engaged in humanitarian efforts and victim assistance concerning the Syrian crisis, Federica Mogherini's spokesperson said.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The European Union is ready to play a key role in the political settlement of the Syrian crisis under the auspices of the United Nations, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini’s spokeswoman said Thursday.

"The EU called again for renewed international effort led by the UN to bring an end to the war, and it confirmed that it is ready to put all its political weight to try and facilitate a solution to this conflict," Catherine Ray told reporters.

Ray observed that the bloc is not involved militarily in airstrikes against the Islamic State extremist group, but is engaged in "complimentary" activities, including humanitarian efforts and victim assistance.

She evoked Mogherini’s remarks at the UN headquarters on Wednesday, where the top EU diplomat said a military component must go "in hand" with a political process in Syria. Ray reaffirmed that anti-ISIL airstrikes were important, but insufficient on their own.

"But in parallel and maybe even more importantly, it’s critical to start a political process leading to a peaceful and inclusive transition, in the framework of the UN, to put an end to the war in Syria," Ray stressed.

The spokeswoman added that the Syrian civil war will dominate a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on October 12.

Europe is currently suffering the humanitarian effect of a four-year civil war in Syria, bearing the brunt of an extraordinary wave of migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, most of them from the Arab republic.