https://sputnikglobe.com/20230618/borrell-says-eu-las-ministerial-meeting-postponed-due-to-disagreements-over-syria-1111264288.html
EU-LAS Meeting Postponed 'Due to Readmission of Syria' to Regional Bloc
EU-LAS Meeting Postponed 'Due to Readmission of Syria' to Regional Bloc
Sputnik International
EU foreign policy chief on Sunday admitted that disagreements over the restoration of Syria's full membership in the League of Arab States (LAS) led to the indefinite postponement of the LAS-European Union ministerial meeting that was to take place in June.
2023-06-18T14:01+0000
2023-06-18T14:01+0000
2023-06-18T14:19+0000
world
european union (eu)
josep borrell
arab league
league of arab states
syria
damascus
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He made the statement during a visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. He added that despite the fact that it is a sovereign decision of the LAS, Brussels cannot agree to it. "It's a sovereign decision, and we respect it," Borrell said, adding it was taken despite Damascus' alleged "lack of meaningful efforts to resolve the conflict." He also noted that the Syrian leadership "has not been held accountable" and that the EU could not ignore this. Earlier in the week, diplomatic sources in Brussels told Sputnik about serious disagreements on a number of issues between Arab countries and the EU, primarily on relations with Syria, against which the bloc imposed sanctions. Arab states also do not support the EU's sanctions policy against Russia. Due to the disagreements, the parties have not yet been able to hold another EU-LAS summit. The first such summit was held in February 2019 in Egypt. The next one was supposed to take place in Brussels in 2022, but no date for it has yet been set. At their extraordinary meeting on May 7, the LAS foreign ministers approved Syria's return to the organization after a 12-year hiatus. The Arab countries are in favor of easing Western sanctions against Damascus, which have hampered economic relations with the country, its reconstruction and preparations for the mass return of refugees from neighboring states. Last Thursday, during a donor conference on aid to Syrian refugees, Borrell reiterated that the EU does not share the LAS position on Syria and does not intend to restore official relations with Damascus. Damascus and Moscow have repeatedly described Western unilateral sanctions against Syria as illegitimate.
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borrel, eu foreign policy chief, syria, las, league of arab states, european union, damascus
EU-LAS Meeting Postponed 'Due to Readmission of Syria' to Regional Bloc
14:01 GMT 18.06.2023 (Updated: 14:19 GMT 18.06.2023) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday admitted that disagreements over the restoration of Syria's full membership in the League of Arab States (LAS) led to the indefinite postponement of the LAS-European Union ministerial meeting that was to take place in June.
He made the statement during a visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.
"We have been having regular contacts at different levels, including ministerial meetings. The last one took place in February 2019 in Brussels. ... Since then, unfortunately, the meeting has had to be postponed. The last time it was scheduled for this week, and it had to be postponed due to the readmission of Syria on the Arab League," Borrell said.
He added that despite the fact that it is a sovereign decision of the LAS, Brussels cannot agree to it.
"
It's a sovereign decision, and we respect it," Borrell said, adding it was taken despite Damascus' alleged "
lack of meaningful efforts to resolve the conflict."
He also noted that the Syrian leadership "has not been held accountable" and that the EU could not ignore this.
"That is why the EU and the LAS postponed the ministerial meeting at the request of the European Union," he concluded.
Earlier in the week, diplomatic sources in Brussels told Sputnik about serious disagreements on a number of issues between Arab countries and the EU,
primarily on relations with Syria, against which the bloc imposed sanctions. Arab states also do not support the EU's sanctions policy against Russia.
Due to the disagreements, the parties have not yet been able to hold another EU-LAS summit. The first such summit was held in February 2019 in Egypt. The next one was supposed to take place in Brussels in 2022, but no date for it has yet been set.
At their extraordinary meeting on May 7, the LAS foreign ministers approved Syria's return to the organization after a 12-year hiatus.
The Arab countries
are in favor of easing Western sanctions against Damascus, which have hampered economic relations with the country, its reconstruction and preparations for the mass return of refugees from neighboring states.
Last Thursday, during a donor conference on aid to Syrian refugees, Borrell reiterated that the EU does not share the LAS position on Syria and does not intend to restore official relations with Damascus.
Damascus and Moscow have repeatedly described Western unilateral sanctions against Syria as illegitimate.
