US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday will join the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Kerry himself requested the meeting with his European counterparts ‘’both to talk to us about his amazing work on the Middle East Peace Process ‘’but also undoubtedly to talk about Syria.’’
Saturday’s meeting comes as European nations appeared split over a possible armed action by the US against Syria over the use by President Bashar Assad’s regime of chemical weapons against the population.
France, which like the United States is preparing a possible armed action in Syria, appeared to be isolated within the EU. Britain is in favour of an action but its parliament last week didn’t give the government a green light, while Germany said it will not take part in an attack and would limit itself to a backseat role at most.
But Herman Van Rompuy, the EU’s highest ranking official, speaking Thursday at the G20, while condemning the use of chemical weapons as « abhorrent’’ insisted that only a diplomatic solution could end the "terrible bloodshed" in Syria, not a military intervention.
The EU Council President told a press conference in St Petersburg that the EU had to underscore "the need to move forward with addressing the Syrian crisis through the UN process."
He said he had no reason to doubt the credibility of the evidence presented by the United States indicating Assad's forces released the chemical weapons. But he said it was essential to wait until UN experts had concluded an on-the-ground investigation into the attack with a report.
“I look forward to the information the UN secretary general will share with us on this matter later today,” he said. “It is important that at least a preliminary report is released as early as possible.”
Van Rompuy’s declarations appeared to upset French President Francois Hollande who came to the G-20 summit in hopes of rallying its European partners to support military action, if not with warplanes then at least with logistical or other symbolic help.