Sun, April 15, 2012
BRUSSELS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Saturday welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on authorizing the deployment of an advance observation team to Syria.
"I welcome the resolution just adopted by the UN Security Council, unanimously authorizing the immediate deployment of an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers to begin reporting on the implementation of a full cessation of armed violence in Syria," said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in a statement.
Ashton hailed the decision as an additional step in the right direction in the implementation of the UN-League of Arab States Special Envoy Kofi Annan's plan for end of violence in the country.
"Even if the situation on the ground remains very unstable and uncertain, I hope this resolution will open the way to a fully-fledged UN observation mission in Syria in accordance with Kofi Annan's plan," she said.
She also called on the Syrian government to take this opportunity to fully cooperate with the initial observation team.
"The first priority is to ensure a complete cessation of violence in Syria and to allow for full and unhindered access to humanitarian aid," said Ashton.
