Conclusions – 18 and 19 February 2016
III. EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Syria
- Recalling UNSC Resolution 2254, the European Council welcomes the commitments made by the International Syria Support Group meeting in Munich on 11/12 February and calls on all parties to swiftly implement these commitments in full. A nationwide cessation of hostilities must urgently be implemented, applying to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities, other than groups designated as terrorist organisations by the United Nations Security Council.
The European Council calls on the Syrian regime and its allies to stop at once attacking nonterrorist opposition groups, which threatens the prospects for peace, benefits Da'esh and drives the refugee crisis. The European Council is concerned by the risk of further military escalation and condemns the repeated bombing of civilian infrastructure and calls for an immediate cessation of bombardments in civilian areas, in particular in the corridor between Aleppo and the Turkish-Syrian border. The implementation should jointly be verified by the relevant parties. The European Council welcomes the start of delivery of humanitarian aid within one week to civilians in besieged areas and urges all sides to ensure that this continues and use this as a first step to full sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Syria, as agreed in Munich, including Aleppo, and in full compliance with international humanitarian law.
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