Catherine Ashton welcomes appointment of Mr Lakhdar Brahimi as UN – LAS Joint Special Representative for Syria

EUROPEA1 U1IO1

Brussels, 18 August 2012

A 372/12

Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the

appointment of Mr Lakhdar Brahimi as U1-LAS

Joint Special Representative for Syria

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and VicePresident of the Commission issued the following statement today:

"I welcome the appointment of Mr Lakhdar Brahimi as the United ations – League of Arab States

Joint Special Representative for Syria.

Mr Brahimi is an experienced diplomat with a deep understanding of the region. He is certainly the

right person to continue the work of the U and the League of Arab States in the search for a

peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis. The EU will provide him with its full support in this

immensely challenging task.

The prerequisite for any political process to work is full support by the U Security Council and

agreement by all parties to give diplomacy another chance. I call on the international community

and in particular the U Security Council to provide the Joint Special Representative with its

strong and unified support.

Further militarisation of the conflict by any of the parties can only bring greater suffering to Syria,

its citizens, and the region as a whole.

The EU remains committed to pursuing a Syrian-led political transition that would meet the

democratic aspirations of the Syrian people."

____________________

P R E S S

FOR FURTHER DETAILS:

Michael Mann +32 498 999 780 - +32 2 299 97 80 - [email protected]

Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 - +32 2 298 65 70 - [email protected]

Sebastien Brabant +32 460 75 09 98 - [email protected]

[email protected]

www.eeas.europa.eu

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بيان الممثلة العليا كاثرين أشتون يرحب بتعيين الأخضر الإبراهيمي ممثلًا خاصًا مشتركًا للأمم المتحدة والجامعة العربية لسورية، ويحذر من زيادة عسكرة الصراع.