Written answers

Thursday, 28 March 2013

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Foreign Conflicts

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will support Ireland sending any non-lethal military equipment to the Syrian opposition, the Syrian National Coalition, as part of the EU agreement that was reached on 28 February, which allows the EU members to send this non-lethal military equipment to the Syrian National Coalition. [15516/13]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Foreign Affairs Council on 18 February which I attended devoted considerable attention to reviewing the current EU sanctions which apply against Syria. The issue was further discussed at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers which took place in Dublin last weekend and which I co-hosted with High Representative Ashton.

This discussion will continue at the next Foreign Affairs Council on 22 April. The current EU sanctions regime remains essential in order to maintain strong pressure upon the Syrian authorities to stop their campaign of repression and violence against the Syrian people and to engage seriously in a process of dialogue with the opposition.

The 18 February Foreign Affairs Council agreed to renew the full range of existing sanctions for a further period of three months until the end of May, while widening the scope of the exemptions applicable under the sanctions regime so to allow the provision of non-lethal military equipment and technical assistance for the purpose of protecting the civilian population.

While some member States have indicated that they will now avail of this possibility to provide non-lethal equipment and assistance (such as training) to the Syrian National Coalition, Ireland has no plans to do so. I believe rather that EU action must remain focussed on strong support for the efforts of the UN/League of Arab States Special Envoy Brahimi to devise a political solution based on the June 2012 Geneva Communique and to get a genuine process of transition launched within Syria.

The EU should also concentrate on addressing the appalling humanitarian crisis resulting from a conflict which has now caused well over two million people to be internally displaced and has led to over one million Syrians taking refuge in neighbouring countries. The EU collectively is by far the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and to the UN and international humanitarian NGOs which are assisting them, it has to date contributed almost €600 million in aid. Ireland, for its part, has contributed €7.1 million in humanitarian assistance to Syria over the past twelve months.

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