European Union Foreign Ministers said on Saturday there is a need for a ‘’clear and strong’’ response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons but they underscored at the same time the need to address the Syrian crisis through the United Nations before any military intervention can be considered.
The ministers, who held a two-day informal meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, said in a statement they hoped that United Nations inspectors sent to investigate last month's attack would be allowed to present their report before any action was taken.
‘’The EU hopes a preliminary report of this first investigation can be released as sson as possible and welcomes (French) President Hollande’s statement to wait for this report before any further action.’’
The EU ministers said there seems to be ‘’strong evidence that the Syrian regime is responsible for the chemical attacks on August 21 ‘’as it is the only one that possesses chemical weapons agents and means of their delivery in a sufficient quantity.’’
‘’In the face of this cynical use of chemical weapons, the international community cannot remain idle,’’ the statement added.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, who hosted the meeting of the 28 ministers as his country chairs the EU presidency, spoke of "more and more evidence that the Assad regime is behind all these crimes. We can't just ignore this."
The statement also reiterated the EU stance, put forward last Thursday at the G20 meeting in St Petersburg by EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy, that ‘’only a political solution that will result in a united, inclusive and democratic Syria can end the terrible bloodshed, grave violations of human rights and the far-reaching destruction of Syria.’’
The EU statement was issued after a meeting between the ministers and their American counterpart John Kerry who sought to press Europeans for military action against the Syrian regime.
Kerry said at a press conference that he was "very grateful" for the group's statement on the "need for accountability" in Syria.
France and Denmark are among the EU governments who say they could join US led strikes. The British government was also supportive of strikes but the parliament voted against a request of approval from British Prime Minister David Cameron.
According to diplomats, the EU statement, while backing the Obama administration’s in its desire to act against the use of chemical weapons by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, failed short to explicitly support the idea of military strikes.
Kerry will travel to Paris and London to consult with French, British and Saudi officials, and to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
US Presisdent Obama will address Americans on September about the Syrian case. In a preview of that speech, he said in his weekly radio address that the failure to punish Syria’s chemical weapons use would embolden terrorists and rogue states and “pose a serious threat to our national security.”