Middle East News
Arab League head refuses EU request to refer Syria to UN
Dec 7, 2011, 9:35 GMT
Cairo - The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, said Wednesday he had refused a request from the European Union to refer the Syrian crisis to the United Nations Security Council.
The request had been made by the bloc's foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels on December 1, al-Arabi told the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat in remarks published Wednesday.
'I confirmed to the ministers that we are working (on the Syrian crisis) within an Arab framework to find a solution,' al-Arabi added.
He told the paper that his organization would not give the Syrian government a new deadline to accept a peace plan or face sanctions.
'The economic sanctions and measures, endorsed by the Arab League on November 27, are now in effect,' al-Arabi said.
