Parliament condemns Russia and China's action in blocking the UN Security Council resolution on Syria (1) and calls on Russia, the Syrian Government’s largest overseas arms supplier, to stop its arms shipments to Syria. It also calls on the EU to fully respect its arms embargo.
In a resolution passed today, MEPs point to the escalation of the violence (A) and call on High Representative Catherine Ashton to do her utmost to secure the adoption of a UNSC resolution, working with both Russia and China. They want all the EU member states to withdraw their ambassadors from Syria and freeze diplomatic ties with Syrian ambassadors in the EU. They also urge Ms Ashton to reinforce the EU Delegation in Damascus with humanitarian capacity.
Parliament calls for more EU sanctions against the regime and urges the EU to step up its political, technical, communication and humanitarian support for the opposition. It welcomes Turkey's strong support for the Syrian population and presses the High Representative to start discussions with Turkey, the Arab League and the Syrian opposition on arrangements for setting up humanitarian corridors on the borders.
The House recalls its support for the Arab League's efforts to end the violence and promote a political solution in Syria. It welcomes Ashton's backing for the creation of a "Friends of the Syrian People" contact group and her announcement that she will take part in its first meeting in Tunis on 24 February.
MEPs again condemn the brutal repression, pointing to the fears of a final deadly assault on the city of Homs and voice their concern that the violence will spill over to Lebanon and affect the whole region.
They reiterate their call for President Assad and his regime to end the violence and step aside, to allow a transition to democracy to begin and repeat their call for an investigation into the regime's human rights violations, which they say may amount to crimes against humanity, for which those responsible must be held to account.
Procedure: non-legislative resolution
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