EU united on need to enforce UN resolution, says Ashton

The EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton yesterday dismissed claims that the 27 EU member states had conflicting views on the ongoing bombing of Libya.

Lady Ashton stressed that all 27 countries were united on the need to enforce the UN resolution 1973 on the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya.

Her comments were made following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels where Libya dominated the agenda. According to international reports, they failed to agree on Nato taking over leadership of the allied campaign, with France standing out as an objector and Italy strongly disagreeing with its stance.

At the end of the meeting, the ministers agreed that: “While contributing in a different way, the EU and its member states are determined to act collectively and resolutely, with all international partners, particularly the Arab League and other regional stakeholders, to give full effect to these decisions (of the UN resolution).”

During the meeting, Lady Ashton informed ministers of the preparations being made by the European Commission to launch a massive humanitarian mission in case the Libyan conflict escalates and mass evacuations have to take place. She said the Commission was studying the possibility of intervening through military assets, even from the sea, to make the necessary evacuations.

Italy has already offered to act as the command headquarters of such an operation.

Sources close to yesterday’s meeting said some member states also expressed scepticism about the degree of force being used in Libya by the allies. Germany, Italy and Cyprus were indicated as being the most vociferous among the sceptics.

However, Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle rejected suggestions that his country’s stance, not to join the Nato mission and abstaining at the UN Security Council, was a sign of weakness. He said Germany, the largest EU member state, fully agreed with the need of a no-fly zone.

“This does not mean we are neutral, it does not mean we have any sympathy with Col Muammar Gaddafi, but it means we see the risks,” he said.

The EU yesterday agreed to step up, for the third time, its sanctions against the Gaddafi regime by freezing assets and slapping a travel ban on 11 more people and nine companies close to the regime.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation, which controls the vast state- owned oil reserves, is among the fresh entrants on the sanctions list.

The EU ministers also discussed the latest developments in Egypt and adopted asset-freeze sanctions against former President Hosni Mubarak and 18 of his close collaborators.

Malta was represented at the meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg.