MESOP DOCUMENTS : STATEMENT ON KOBANE RELIEF BY EU

Statement on the behalf of the EEAS – European Institutions, International Reports – International mobilization to rebuild Kobanê- EP, Room P7C050, 1/7/15

Speech of Mr. Vassilis BONTOSOGLOU, Head of the EEAS (European External Action Service) Division for Middle East, Former Ambassador to Syria

Mr President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

Dear Sir and Madam, Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the European External Action Service, I would like to thank you for inviting me to outline the EU response to the Syria crisis and what the EU can and will do in support of the people of Kobani in particular.During numerous plenary debates on the Syria crisis, we highlighted the fact that Da’esh poses a complex terrorist threat to Syria, to the entire region but also for Europe.But we must remember that ordinary citizens in Syria as well as in Iraq are most exposed to terrorism: they are truly on the frontline.

The human rights abuses committed by Da’esh are increasing, both in number of victims and in atrocity.Over the last few days alone, more than 200 persons, mainly civilians, were killed in Kobani during one of the worse terrorist attacks committed by Da’esh on Syrian soil. Our deepest condolences go to the families of the victims.Once again, the intention of Da’esh is clear from its action – Da’esh wishes to seize as much territory as it can, achieve self-sustainability and expand its brutal rule.

Mr President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, dear Sir and Madam,

for more than 4 months till end of January 2015, the city of Kobanê, in Syria, was under the siege of those terrorists.

Fighting was fierce and unbalanced: terrorists had managed to transfer to Kobanê a considerable volume of force and considerable amounts of sophisticated and heavy equipment captured after the fall of Mosul in particular.

On the other side, few hundreds local fighters and volunteers rely only on small arms but great courage. They defended their city street by street, house by house, with limited international support.This is how Kobanê became a symbol of local resistance against Da’esh’s rule of terror and oppression. We need to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for this cause.

But we all know that military action alone is not sufficient to defeat Da’esh.We must remember that while Da’esh is a single organization and that a regional approach is needed to tackle it, the circumstances in Syria and Iraq are distinct:

(1) in Iraq we are and we will continue to work closely with a legitimate Government, supporting it as much as we can in its efforts to restore inclusive governance and stability.

(2) In Syria, an inclusive political transition is crucial to sustainable peace and stability: the fight against Da’esh and other terrorist groups must be conducted in parallel with the search for lasting political solutions.Our position is clear: it is the Assad regime’s brutal war against its own people, massive human rights violations and systematic obstruction against democratic reforms that have contributed to the flourishing of Da’esh in Syria. As a consequence of its policies and actions, the Assad regime cannot be a partner in the fight against Da’esh.

The threat posed by Da’esh should not overshadow the considerable suffering of the Syrian people as a consequence of this political crisis. Yesterday, the UN SG reminded us that:

It should shame us all that, three years since the adoption of the Geneva Communiqué on resolving the cataclysmic conflict in Syria, the suffering of the Syrian people continues to plumb new depths… Three years after the parties themselves, and all those with influence on them, expressed support for a plan to end that suffering, it is time to find an exit from this madness.

We continue to support fully the efforts of the UN Special Envoy de Mistura, in order to achieve peace in Syria and maintain the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Intense diplomacy is going on. We participated in the ‘Geneva consultations’ and we hope that those talks will help launch a political process leading to a transition, under the provisions of the Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012.

Our ultimate objective is to help build a democratic and pluralist Syria where all minorities and vulnerable groups have a place.This political approach is at the heart of the ‘EU regional strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Da’esh threat’ which was adopted in March 2015 and is currently being pursued and implemented.

Mr President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, dear Sir and Madam,

The EU is also determined to continue supporting the Syrians and the neighbors of Syria affected by the crisis.

Humanitarian aid and longer term assistance are and will remain important pillars of the EU’s response to the crisis in Syria and in the neighboring countries.During the first days of the Kobanê crisis, the European Commission adopted an emergency decision of 3.9 M to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the people who had found refuge in Turkey.

We commend the Turkish Government for providing life-saving assistance and refuge to those who were forced to leave Kobanê. It is of utmost importance that official border crossings remain open for medical emergencies. The return to normality (trade etc.) will largely depend on the status of the border between Turkey and Kobane.Since the liberation of Kobanê, we have sustained our efforts in support of those refugees as well as the other victims of the Syria crisis.

As illustrated by the most recent terrorist attack against in Kobanê, security and protection remain a serious concern. Demining Kobanê is also a crucial condition for the launch of humanitarian and reconstruction activities across the board.

The European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO) and other services are currently mobilizing significant resources to support such operations.

Those operations, implemented in coordination with the city administration, will send a clear signal that the EU is consistent with its commitment to support the restoration of basic services and the return to normality in Kobani as well as any other areas of reduced violence in Syria.At the Kuwait III Conference of 31 March 2015, the European Commission and Member States pledged close to EUR 1.1 Bn (double the EU pledge at the 2014 conference).

This highlights our will to sustain the level of our humanitarian and non-humanitarian engagement in response to the crisis in Syria and its regional consequences.

Thank you.