Merkel says EU mulling further sanctions against Damascus

Feb 14, 2012, 12:30 GMT

Berlin - The European Union is likely to impose new sanctions on the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Tuesday, without detailing what the move will entail.

Merkel made her comments ahead of talks at her Berlin office with Nabil al-Arabi, the secretary general of the Arab League. EU foreign ministers are to debate additional sanctions at the end of the month.

Al-Arabi, for his part, called for an immediate end to the bloodshed in Syria.

Merkel said Germany would support an Arab League proposal to send a peacekeeping mission to Syria that would include UN blue-beret troops. The Assad regime has rejected it.

'The League has a firm stance,' Merkel said. 'The European Union supports this stance and we will reinforce you (by imposing) additional sanctions as well.'

Diplomats said last week that likely new moves could include restrictions on Syrian banks operating in the EU and a ban on Syrian commercial flights to and from Europe.

The EU has already imposed a visa ban and asset freeze on dozens of Syrian officials and set up arms and oil-sector embargoes on the country, but because of Chinese and Russian vetoes has not been able to persuade the UN Security Council to follow suit.

Tunisia plans to host a 'Friends of Syria' conference on February 24 to establish a contact group and discuss ways to step up pressure on the Assad regime. Berlin has not yet said who will represent Germany at the conference.

Also on Merkel's and al-Arabi's agenda was the Arab Spring democracy movement in other nations of the region. Merkel told reporters that Berlin would be supportive in the current 'phase of transformation.'

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