Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

My response to calls for military intervention, including UN military intervention, in Syria is that the Syrian opposition leadership would not welcome such an intervention at this point. One concern is the possibility of the deterioration of the situation in Syria to full-scale sectarian civil war. The situation on the ground is complex and the focus of the international community is on securing a resolution of the appalling situation in Syria without military intervention.

The European Union Foreign Affairs Council will be meeting on 24 July and will review the situation that exists after 20 July. We are in close contact with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Ashton, and other member states about the situation in Syria and we maintain close contact with them. I have discussed the situation with the Foreign Ministers of Russia and China but I have not had such a discussion in recent weeks.

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