The 27 EU foreign ministers officially approved an Iranian oil embargo aimed at halting its nuclear enrichment programme. Minister Giulio Terzi said that Italy \u201cis with Europe: we are certainly with Europe\u201d, he added. \u201cWe have been an element of impetus in the application of a dual track policy\u201d, he stressed. The pressure will stay on until \u201cIran returns to the negotiating table and suspends its nuclear enrichment programme\u201d. Terzi recalled that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton \u201cis still waiting for an answer\u201d from Iran in response to the 5+1 group\u2019s invitation to resume negotiations.<\/P>
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In consideration of mounting concern over the Iranian nuclear programme, the Council expanded the reach of the restrictive measures already in place, including the importation of crude oil and petroleum products. The embargo involves the importation, purchase and transportation of those products as well as associated banking and insurance activities. Previously stipulated contracts, the conclusions specify, may continue until July 1st 2012. A review of the measures affecting oil and its derivatives will take place by May 1st 2012. The Council also banned EU imports of petrochemical products from Iran, as well as EU exports to Iran of equipment and technologies essential to that sector. New investments or joint interests in the Iranian petrochemical industry are also banned. The ministers also froze EU-held Iranian banking assets, assuring that legitimate trade could proceed under very strict conditions.<\/P>
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Terzi voiced his satisfaction with the Council\u2019s decision to approve new sanctions on Syria, reporting that the Council had \u201cunanimously agreed to support the role of the Arab League\u201d. The sanctions are aimed at pursuing and intensifying pressure on the Damascus regime, Terzi asserted. As for the Arab League\u2019s role, the minister stressed that he had spoken with the League\u2019s secretary in Cairo on Thursday and had noted his strong determination. The EU considers the League as capable of having a valuable role in reviving the option of a UN Security Council resolution.<\/P>
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Minister Terzi also expressed his \u201cgreat satisfaction\u201d with the EU\u2019s decision to gradually loosen the sanctions on the Burmese Junta. \u201cI will be going to Burma soon to personally express Italy\u2019s willingness to encourage the development of this dialogue, being one of the more active of the European partners in this sense\u201d, Terzi announced from Brussels. As a first step, the Council decided \u201cthat restrictive measures (visa ban) concerning the President, the vice-Presidents, cabinet members and the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament should be suspended and mandates relevant working groups to implement it, and to consider further steps\u201d.
“The Council welcomes the remarkable programme of political reform undertaken by the Government and Parliament in Burma\/Myanmar together with its commitment to economic and social development\u201d, the text reads. \u201cThese changes are opening up important new prospects for developing the relationship between the European Union and Burma\/Myanmar. \u201cThe EU stands ready to respond accordingly\u201d, the ministers stated, adding that \u201cthe EU considers that the recent release of a substantial number of political prisoners marks a crucial step forward and clearly shows the determination of the Government to continue on the path of reform\u201d. The Council welcomed \u201cthe dialogue between President U Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the changes to the Electoral Law adopted by the Parliament\u201d, and \u201cthe resolve by the Government to engage with ethnic groups through an inclusive political process, thus bringing to an end the armed conflicts in the country\u201d. The EU also expressed its wish to assist Burma\/Myanmar to \u201cadvance reforms\u201d and invited the World Bank and the IMF to support the country in the development of its strategy. <\/P>
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With regard to Afghanistan, which Minister Terzi described in Brussels as \u201ca collective and long-term commitment\u201d, he expressed his \u201cgreat sadness and solidarity\u201d with France for its recent losses there. Italy intends to maintain its pledge and \u201cI am convinced that all our EU partners and those of the international community will do the same\u201d, he said. Afghan president Hamid Karzai will be in Rome on Wednesday, the minister reported, and \u201cWe are about to conclude a very comprehensive agreement with Afghanistan\u201d.<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 27 EU foreign ministers officially approved an Iranian oil embargo aimed at halting its nuclear enrichment programme. Minister Giulio Terzi said that Italy \u201cis with Europe: we are certainly with Europe\u201d, he added. \u201cWe have been an element of impetus in the application of a dual track policy\u201d, he stressed. The pressure will stay […]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[6,42],"class_list":["post-21052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-approfondimenti","tag-mediterraneo-e-medio-oriente","tag-unione-europea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21052\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}