Suspension of Iran sanctions, Syria, and Central African Republic dominate EU Foreign Affairs Council
The European Union's foreign and security policy took several important steps Monday as EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to suspend certain sanctions against Iran and fully support a peace conference on the civil war in Syria this week. The meeting, which was chaired by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, also agreed that the EU would launch a security and defence operation in the Central African Republic for a duration of six months.
Below is an overview of the main issues discussed by the 28 Ministers in Brussels.
Iran - certain EU sanctions suspended
The decision to suspend certain EU sanctions against Iran was part of the Joint Plan of Action agreed by Iran and the E3/EU+3 which entered into force on Monday.
A deal had been reached between Tehran and the international community in Geneva in November last year in talks that had been coordinated by Catherine Ashton on behalf of the European Union.
Speaking after the meeting Catherine Ashton said, "I am pleased to say that Iran has implemented the nuclear-related measures set out in the agreement and we have adopted the necessary legislation to suspend certain sanctions for a period of six months. The suspension of these sanctions will enter into force today. Over the coming six months, proper implementation of the measures will be crucial." She added that "we aim to start negotiations about a comprehensive solution with Iran in February."
Catherine Ashton also said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would play a crucial role and she thanked them for their work.
Syria - support for Geneva II peace conference
At their meeting EU Foreign Ministers discussed the crisis in Syria and fully supported the peace conference on Syria on 22 January. The Geneva conference should be the first step in a process that will lead to a political solution to the conflict.
The Ministers reiterated that the only solution to the conflict is a genuine political transition, based on the full implementation of the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012 and preserving the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.
Speaking to the press after the meeting Catherine Ashton reiterated that "with the Geneva I meeting just two days away, we were united in our support for the efforts of Lakhdar Brahimi (UN envoy to Syria) to end the suffering of the Syrian people. It is vital that everyone who attends Geneva II does so on the same basis - that the aim of the meeting is to implement the Geneva I communiqué."
She went on to explain the aim of Geneva I which is "a genuine political transition to a democratic and inclusive Syria, which preserves the sovereignty, independence and unity of the country. We believe that participation of women in the peace process, that we hope will emerge from this week's conference, is a real priority. In the meantime, we continue to do all that we can to support the Syrian people through our humanitarian support."
Central African Republic - EU pledges security operation
The European Union is to send a military operation to help stabilise the troubled Central African Republic EU foreign ministers agreed at their meeting.
The force will protect civilians and create conditions for the distribution of humanitarian aid. The aim of the proposed operation is to provide security in and around the capital Bangui for a period of six months and then hand over to an African Union (AU) force.
Since the crisis erupted there have been scores of deaths and thousands have had to flee the fighting. The fear is that the conflict will take on a wider regional dimension.
On Monday at another conference in Brussels aid donors organised by the EU and United Nations pledged €366 million euros to avert a humanitarian crisis.
Speaking at a press conference after the Council meeting Catherine Ashton said that "we have been fully mobilised since the beginning of the crisis to support the efforts of our African partners. The External Action Service has been working hard since the European Council in December to put together a concept for an EU military operation to support the African Union, France and the international community in protecting the civilian population from further violence. Today, Ministers agreed the Crisis Management Concept for this operation."
At the meeting Ministers also discussed the situation in Egypt, the Middle East Peace Process, Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine and South Sudan. Read more on the first link below.
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