EU FOREIGN ministers toughened sanctions against Libya, Iran and Belarus, imposed them on Syria and also called for an immediate resumption of Middle East peace talks.
Placing sanctions on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and nine other members of his regime, the ministers banned them from travelling to the EU and froze any assets they hold in the union.
The new penalties, which follow US sanctions against Mr al-Assad, follow a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, leading to some 1,000 fatalities.
The latest move intensifies pressure on Mr al-Assad as he was not included in the first round of European sanctions agreed earlier this month.
“Our message is clear: stop the violence now, respect human rights and embrace genuine and concrete reforms . . . change course and respond to the needs and demands of the people,” EU foreign policy chief Cathy Ashton said.
The ministers added several individuals and about 100 companies to those targeted by sanctions against Iran’s nuclear programme.
One firm and one individual were added to the list of sanctions against the Gadafy regime in Libya and a further 13 individuals were added to the sanctions list against Belarus – a move that follows trials and long prison sentences against opposition figures in the former Soviet republic.
“We continue to use all the pressure that we can, of which using sanctions is but one tool, to try to keep pressure on those repressive regimes and to help those who are striving for a better future,” said Ms Ashton.
Despite the negative Israeli response to a new Middle East initiative by US president Barack Obama, Ms Ashton said she believed there was an opportunity to resume talks. “I am also concerned about the announcements on new settlements, the 1,550 housing units in East Jerusalem. The EU . . . considers all settlement activities illegal under international law.”
The EU will chair a Middle East Quartet meeting next week in a renewed bid to find a way forward.
Welcoming the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation pact, the ministers said that intra-Palestinian reconciliation behind President Mahmoud Abbas is an important element for the unity of a future Palestinian state and for a two-state solution.
“Reconciliation should also be in the long-term interest of Israel by helping to engage all parties in a process leading to a sustainable peace agreement. The EU welcomes that Palestinian reconciliation has led to the cessation of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip and insists on the need for a permanent truce,” they said.
In a reference to Hamas, the ministers said a future Palestinian government should uphold the principle of non-violence and remain committed to achieving a two-state solution and to a negotiated peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “accepting previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s legitimate right to exist.”
Europe’s engagement with a new Palestinian government will be based on its adherence to such policies and commitments, they said.