European Union: We will not abandon the sanctions imposed on the Assad regime before the political transition is achieved

The European Union High Commissioner for Foreign, Political and Security Affairs Josep Borrell said, “The European Union will not abandon the implementation of the sanctions imposed on Syria before the start of the political transition in the country.”

This came in a speech delivered by the Commissioner of the European Union, during the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Borrell added, “I will be the co-chair on March 25 of the 5th conference on the future of Syria,” noting that “the political process in line with UN Resolution 2254 must proceed in conjunction with the approval of a new constitution and the conduct of free elections.”

“We can provide assistance and focus on the reconstruction of a new Syria, and we are ready to give our support, but working in a normal way is not our option, and investigations into cases of missing persons must be conducted using the international mechanism,” he said.

“We have to keep putting pressure on,” Borrell said. Normalization, lifting of sanctions, and support for reconstruction will not take place before the start of the political transition. This is what will be the meaning of the message of the Brussels conference.

He concluded by saying, “The Assad regime obstructs the political process of the United Nations that supports the holding of democratic elections in Syria, and makes them completely suspended,” noting that “the Assad regime does not respond to these solutions.”

Source: Agencies