Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ireland and its EU partners are committed to ending the suffering of the Syrian people. A political solution is required to address comprehensively the humanitarian, human rights and refugee crises that are the consequences of the conflict. Ireland and the European Union remain committed to supporting the United Nations' efforts to achieve an end to violence, the formation of an inclusive administrative structure with full executive powers and a constitutional reform process, as set out in the 2012 Geneva communiqué. This framework has been endorsed by the United Nations under Security Council Resolution 2254.

I discussed the Syrian conflict with my EU colleagues at the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 October. We were joined by the UN special envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura. The Council adopted conclusions condemning atrocities in Syria, particularly in Aleppo; calling for an immediate end to the bombardment of Aleppo and the protection of civilian populations across Syria; calling for an end to restrictions on the provision of humanitarian assistance and the lifting of all sieges; reaffirming the European Union's support for a political resolution to the conflict in Syria; condemning the illegal use of chemical weapons by the regime and Daesh; calling for accountability through referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court; and condemning in the clearest possible terms the unacceptable actions of Daesh.

The Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, participated in the November meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council which discussed the Syrian crisis and strengthening the European Union's diplomatic engagement with the regional states, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as other key stakeholders, with a view to creating the conditions for a renewal of political negotiations. The Council was briefed by the EU High Representative on the implementation of the European Union's humanitarian response to the crisis in Aleppo.

Last Monday I met the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Dr. Peter Maurer, in Dublin. We discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria, particularly in Aleppo, and the importance of demonstrating full respect for international humanitarian law.

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