Syria: EU welcomes Idleb ceasefire agreement and announces humanitarian aid

Text by: RFI Follow

The European Union on Friday hailed the Russian-Turkish ceasefire agreement in north-western Syria which started at midnight on Friday 6 March as a "sign of good will" and announced humanitarian aid 60 million euros for the region.

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" Of course I welcome the cease-fire, this is good news. At least it's a sign of goodwill, now let's see how it works, "said Foreign Minister Josep Borrell when he arrived at a meeting of European foreign ministers in Zagreb.

This ceasefire is a " precondition for bringing more humanitarian aid to the people of Idleb ", he stressed, saying that the EU should " focus our (its) efforts on the aspect humanitarian ”.

Ministers asked Russia and Turkey to make the ceasefire " immediate and sustainable " and announced " the mobilization of additional 60 million euros in humanitarian aid for the northwest from Syria ”.

► Read also: Syria: the humanitarian crisis is "major" in Idleb according to the UN

The EU is also calling on Moscow and Ankara to " guarantee the protection of civilians on the ground and in the air " with the cessation of bombing in support of the Syrian regime's offensive in the region. Finally, it claims the possibility of having humanitarian aid “ unhindered ”.

The Syrian regime, supported by Moscow, has been carrying out an offensive since December to retake the province of Idleb, the last bastion of pro-Turkish rebels and jihadists in north-western Syria.

" The indiscriminate attacks and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, schools and camps for internally displaced persons, by the Syrian regime and its allies can in no way be justified and must stop, " say the ministers of the In their declaration.

Migrants: EU reminds Ankara of its obligations

In his statement, Josep Borrell also reminded Ankara of its obligations towards migrants and refugees received on its territory.

“ The EU firmly rejects Turkey's use of migratory pressure for political ends. This situation at the EU's external border is not acceptable, ”said the statement.

" Migrants should not be encouraged to attempt to illegally cross borders by land or sea, " insists the text, which repeats the terms of that adopted Wednesday by EU interior ministers.

" The Council recalls that it expects Turkey to fully implement the provisions of the 2016 joint declaration with regard to all the Member States ". In return, the agreement provides financial support of 6 billion euros to finance programs implemented by NGOs for Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The European Commission is also preparing new additional aid of 500 million euros for Syrian refugees in Turkey and several other measures to ease tensions with Ankara.

Warning to migrants in Turkey

Josep Borrell on Friday called on migrants and refugees forced to leave Turkey not to go to the border with Greece " because it is not open ", contrary to what they are told. " If someone tells you that you can go there because the border is open and that you can go freely to Greece or Cyprus, that is not true, " insisted Josep Borrell.

Several thousand refugees and migrants have flocked to the border after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement on February 28 of the opening of its borders to the EU. A border that had been closed to them since 2016.

The influx has awakened in Europe the memory of the 2015 migration crisis. Greece blocked its border and asked its EU partners to help it.

Greek police used tear gas on Friday to repel migrants who tried to pass and threw stones.

( With AFP)

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• Syria
• European Union
• Humanitarian
• Russia

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