Friends of Syria agree to increase pressure on Assad gov

Dozens of countries agreed on Friday to step up international sanctions on the government of Syrian President Bashar al Assad to stop attacks on civilians. "The Friends of the Syrian People International Working Group called on all members of the international community,especially members of the UN Security Council, to take swift, responsible and resolute action in solidarity with the Syrian people and to increase pressure on the Syrian regime by implementing and enforcing measures to deny it access to the resources needed for its violent campaign against its own population," delegates from 63 countries as well as the Arab League States, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the European Union said in a joint statement issued after the one-day meeting in Tokyo. The working-level talks, co-chaired by Japan, Morocco and the European External Action Service, were also attended by representatives of the Syrian opposition forces. No new sanctions were announced at the meeting. The Friends of Syria group also welcomed the targeted and coordinated sanctions implemented by group member countries and organizations to increase pressure on the Syrian regime and isolate it from the international community as a means of ending the repression in Syria, according to the joint statement. They also called upon the Syrian regime to grant full and unimpeded access for all affected civilians to humanitarian assistance. "The group welcomed the formation of the National Coalition of Syrian opposition forces, encouraged them to prepare for a prompt, peaceful, and inclusive transition, and urged other opposition factions to join the coalition," the statement said. The group reiterated its call on all states to impose an embargo on Syrian petroleum products and a ban on the provision of insurance and reinsurance for shipments of Syrian petroleum products. They also urged all states to impose a ban on arm shipments and military technical assistance to Syria and on the provision of insurance and reinsurance for third country arms shipments toward Syria. They also called on all states to take steps, in their own capacity, by imposing an asset freeze on senior Syrian regime officials involved in the repression, as well as an asset freeze on, and restrictions on transactions with, major banks tied with the Syrian regime such as the Central Bank of Syria, the Commercial Bank of Syria and the Syrian International Islamic Bank. "The violence has continued for more than 20 months and the number of casualties in Syria has surpassed 40,000 and counting today, causing a humanitarian crisis," Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told representatives at the meeting. "It is important for the international community to increase pressure on the Syrian government," said Gemba. Friday's meeting was the fifth on that the Friends of Syria group has held, with the last one in the Netherlands in September. China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council and oppose foreign intervention in Syria's conflict, were not invited to the talks. The next meeting will be held in Bulgaria in February.