NETHERLANDS: Friends of Syria group discuss new sanctions against the Syrian government and how to better implement them to solve the Syrian conflict

Record ID: 281384

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: Friends of Syria group discuss new sanctions against the Syrian government and how to better implement them to solve the Syrian conflict
  • Date: 21st September 2012
  • Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 20, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KURHAUS HOTEL, VENUE OF THE MEETING HANDS HOLDING A PAPER READING: FRIENDS OF SYRIAN PEOPLE INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP FOR SANCTIONS WOMAN READING PAPER SIGN READING: SYRIAN ECONOMIC TASKFORCE VARIOUS OF DELEGATES ENTERING THE MEETING HALL DEFECTED SYRIAN DEPUTY OIL MINISTER, ABDOU HUSSAMEDDIN, SH
  • Embargoed: 6th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Crime,War / Fighting,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2X9Y4V435DKCKCJ0B57I0WTM
  • Story Text: Financial experts and diplomats from some 60 allied countries that oppose the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, met on Thursday (September 20) in the Hague to discuss new sanctions as an answer to the ongoing crisis in Syria.
    The so-called Friends of Syria group met as heavy fighting continued in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo.
    In his opening speech, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, who hosted the meeting, said he felt the frustration of not being able to protect the Syrian people and that sanctions against the Syrian government need to be better targeted.
    "What we are talking about here specifically is the fact that you can say you apply sanctions but much more important is to implement them rigourously and to look that the holes in the net are being stopped. That is what is so important," Rosenthal said.
    Assad's government has been locked in a brutal conflict with rebels since spring 2011. Attempts to impose UN sanctions have been blocked by UN Security Council members Russia and China. But Rosenthal said non-UN sanctions had been effective, cutting the Assad government's oil revenues to 10 percent of pre-crisis levels.
    Abraham Miro, Syrian representative on a Friends of Syria task-force planning for the country's post-conflict reconstruction, said sanctions were only part of the answer. He said the Assad's regime kept going due to countries like Iran and Russia.
    "Our resources in the regime, who are still working with the regime but are communicating with us, said that four Iranian shipments are taking crude oil and one of those shipments named "Amin" just crossed Gibraltar a few days ago, is taking crude oil and bringing probably diesel for the tanks to kill the Syrian people, and this attempt today is actually to co-ordinate that, because we as Syrians, we hardly understand how these shipments can go through Mediterranean sea and cross without any country stopping such shipments," Miro said.
    During their meeting, the group of Syria will also discuss how to close these kinds of loopholes.
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