South Africa, EU call for end to Syrian violence
August 25th, 2012 - 5:57 am ICT by IANSPretoria, Aug 25 (IANS) South Africa and the European Union (EU) Friday called for an immediate end to the growing violence in Syria.
The appeal was made at the South Africa-EU Ministerial Political Dialogue (MPD) that took place in Pretoria earlier in the day, Xinhua quoted Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane as saying.
“Both South Africa and the EU agree that current developments in Syria are serious and that the situation needs to be addressed by the international community despite the differences of approach by members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” the minister said.
Mashabane was addressing a press conference after the meeting co-hosted with Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
“Both parties further call for an end to the violence in Syria, ” the minister added.
Last month, South Africa abstained from voting on the latest UN Security Council resolution which threatened further sanctions on Syria, calling the document “one-sided”.
The EU and the US have been trying to bring South Africa on board to resolve the Syrian crisis. But the South African government has made it clear that it strongly opposes any attempt that might authorise the use of military force in dealing with the Syrian crisis.
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Tags: ashton, current developments, foreign affairs, international relations, meeting co, members of the united nations, members of the united nations security council, military force, mpd, nations security council, political dialogue, pretoria, sanctions on syria, security council resolution, security policy, south african government, un security council, united nations security, united nations security council, xinhua