BRUSSELS
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said late Thursday in Brussels that they were ready to discuss to lift the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition as French President Francois Hollande called on the European Union (EU).
Merkel, after the first day of the European Council Meeting, stated that arming the Syrian opposition was a complicated issue and that it should be handled delicately. She stated they should be cautious about the countries which did not side with Germany and other EU countries on not supplying more arms to the Assad regime.
The German chancellor warned that arming the Syrian opposition should not lead to an arms race in Syria and that these arms should not fall in to wrong hands.
"We have to put pressure on the Syrian regime. We need to go forward. I will talk about this to my European counterparts," France's Hollande had said on Thursday in a statement prior to the EU summit.
Holding bilateral talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Hollande had conveyed the two countries' resolution and cooperation to end the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition as a sign of their support to the Syrian opposition.
Last month, the EU's foreign ministers had extended the Syrian arms embargo until June, making changes that enable technical assistance and use of “non-lethal” equipments.
France and Britain ask EU to lift arms embargo on Syrian opposition
France and Britain officially brought up their request to lift an EU arms embargo on the Syrian opposition.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and British Premier David Cameron, in an EU summit in Brussels, said their views on the arms embargo had changed and they supported to end the EU's arms embargo on the Syrian opposition.
In a press conference held, the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said that some countries at the EU summit brought up the issue of ending an arms embargo on the Syrian opposition and that this issue would be discussed at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) in Dublin, Ireland next week.
