By IANS,
Brussels : The European Union (EU) is all set to impose more sanctions against Syria, said an EU foreign affairs official Friday.
It has so far approved 16 rounds of sanctions against Syria since May 2011, which brings the total number of people subject to sanctions to 129 while 49 entities are now affected by an EU asset freeze, Xinhua reported.
According to Pierre Vimont, executive secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), there will be a discussion on Syria among EU foreign ministers next Monday and there should be a conclusion adopted.
“There will be new additional sanctions against individual designation, whether personalities or entities,” said Vimont. “There will be also a decision on the reinforcement of the arms embargo inspection. This has been done and has been agreed.”
The EU will ask member states to ensure the inspections of both sea vessels and aircraft traveling towards Syria, he said.
Also, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Friday expressed her regret over Thursday’s vote of the UNSC resolution on Syria.
“I deeply regret that despite the serious deterioration of the situation in Syria, the members of the UN Security Council could not agree on a resolution to add more effective and robust pressure to end the violence in Syria and allow for a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” said Ashton.
“The current escalating violence in the country requires urgent and united action by the UNSC and the international community to enforce Kofi Annan’s peace plan,” she said.
Ashton said the EU will continue supporting Annan and his plan as the best solution to resolve the Syria crisis.