European countries welcome end of Assad rule in Syria
Major European countries are welcoming the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's regime, but are also warning about possible extremism. Belgium's new Foreign minister said the situation represents “a new opportunity” for Syria's future.
Bernard Quintin told VRT on Sunday that the Assad regime was responsible for “terrible, countless crimes”. To move towards a successful reconstruction of Syria, there must be respect for international law and international humanitarian law, but also respect and protection for all Syrian communities, he said.
German Foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called the fall of the regime “a great relief” for millions of Syrians, but warned that the country must now not fall into the hands of “other radicals”.
France said Assad had violently repressed his own people and Paris is now pushing for a peaceful political transition of power in Syria. The Foreign ministry called on Syrians to “reject all forms of extremism”.
"We have to ensure that the Syrian people can decide how they are governed in the future and by whom"
Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said on television he hoped there would be no “balkanisation” of Syria, with different regions being ruled by different groups. “We have to ensure that the Syrian people can decide how they are governed in the future and by whom,” he said. “And of course that the territorial integrity of Syria is preserved.”
US deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro stressed that the US remains present in Syria to prevent terror group Islamic State from regaining strength.
The US has about 900 military personnel stationed in Syria, mainly in the east and northeast. They are part of a mission to prevent a return of IS. The terror group declared its own caliphate in Syria and Iraq during the Syrian civil war. Shapiro said the current chaos in Syria may give the group room to become more active and plan new operations.
People pose on the torn down statue of former president Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar al-Assad, in the Syrian city of Hama © PHOTO JUMA MOHAMMAD / IMAGESLIVE VIA ZUMA PRESS WIRE
Related news
