EU condemns Syrian regime for preventing humanitarian aid

BRUSSELS, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- The EU condemned Thursday the Syria regime for preventing humanitarian aid and also for obstructing peace talks in Geneva.
"In Syria, the fighting is far from over. The EU strongly condemns the continued systematic, widespread and gross violations and abuses of human rights as well as recent attacks and the continued siege of Eastern Ghouta," said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in a statement.
"The regime's persistent obstacles to humanitarian aid and medical evacuations in Eastern Ghouta are a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and several UN Security Council Resolutions," she noted.
The EU welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2393, which renews the authorization of the cross-border humanitarian operations into Syria but expressed "deep concern" by the continued lack of humanitarian access to the 13.1 million people in need of assistance throughout Syria.
Mogherini stressed that that the EU will be ready to assist in the reconstruction of Syria only when a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political transition, negotiated by the Syrian parties in the conflict on the basis of UNSCR 2254 and the Geneva Communique, is firmly under way.
The EU commended the Syrian Negotiation Commission's constructive and united engagement in the last round of the Geneva talks and deplored the Syrian regime's "continued obstruction of talks, which has prevented progress." The EU called upon the Syrian regime's allies, notably Russia, to ensure that the Syrian regime fully engages in this UNSC-mandated process. (end) nk.gta