BICOM

European Union foreign ministers agreed yesterday in Brussels to renew sanctions against Syria for a further three months but to amend the conditions in order to make it easier to provide non-lethal support to the country’s opposition and “technical assistance for the protection of civilians.”

Foreign Minister William Hague had called for lifting the current comprehensive EU sanctions, which prevents any form of military assistance in Syria, including support for opponents of President Assad’s regime. Although this wholesale change has not materialised, Hague said “We will certainly use the full leeway provided by this amendment to the embargo in order to provide greater assistance.”

Explaining what this would mean in practice, Hague said, “It allows us to supply a greater range of equipment to protect civilian life in Syria. It also enables us to give assistance and advice that we’ve been restricted in giving before.” With an eye on the future, Hague also said that the amendment is “important because it shows that we can change the arms embargo and the worse the situation becomes the more we can change.”

The Telegraph quotes government sources, saying that Britain will soon announce that “advice and training” will be given to Syria’s national opposition coalition and that this would include “maintenance of security in areas no longer held by the regime” and the future transition from military to civilian rule.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the amendment to the embargo “is not about military support, but that we were able to give the support to the people on the ground to help them in every possible way.”