Doorstep remarks by Federica Mogherini upon arrival at the Brussels Conference "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region"

Doorstep remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini upon arrival at the Brussels Conference "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region"

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Not so much a good morning, because what we've seen yesterday has horrified all of us. I can say this as a politician, but first of all as a mother. And the images we have seen yesterday from Syria remind us all that here we have a responsibility to unite for real with a serious engagement the international community, the regional players, but also the Syrian parties to make peace.

Yesterday I started these two days of Conference [Brussels Conference: "Supporting the future of Syria"] by meeting the Syrian civil society, women and men, that put all their energy and sometimes their lives in helping Syrians in this sixth, seventh years of war. And they all  tell me one thing – we are different, we come from different backgrounds, we have different political ideas – but we want peace.

Enough of violence, enough of war -  Syrians want peace and Syrians want to reconstruct their country in democracy and in freedom. And I think that today what we are doing is even more relevant, is even more important, is even more urgent. First of all, to give help to the Syrians inside Syria that are still alive – children,  women, health, education, living basic conditions -  this comes from here. Millions, billions of Euros, that I hope can be re-pledged and committed today to help the Syrians live. First of all in Syria and in the region, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, the wider region.

Second, to give a push, a strong push, to the political talks in Geneva. We will have the UN Secretary General [António Guterres] opening the conference with me today, we will have Staffan de Mistura [UN Special Envoy for Syria]– we have to unite the international community behind these negotiations and give them a serious push. Because only the Syrian parties can agree a political solution – can put an end to this war.

Third, we can start preparing the post-conflict. I know it sounds surreal, especially today, but if you want peace, you have to  start building peace and the conditions for peace.  And we will also look at the conditions under which the international community can contribute to reconstruct the country.

I'll see you later.