Damascus meeting of European ambassadors with foreign minister

Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moualem Following a meeting in Damascus yesterday,  a British Foreign Office spokesperson said: "The Ambassadors of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK met the Syrian Foreign Minister today to discuss the deteriorating situation in Syria. The Ambassadors voiced the very serious concerns of their  governments over the continuing deaths and violence across the country.
The Ambassadors reiterated their condemnation of the use of force by  the security forces against peaceful demonstrators and urged the Syrian  authorities to exercise restraint. They expressed their opposition to
any violence whatever its motivation or origin. On behalf of their governments, the Ambassadors called on the Syrian Government to address the legitimate demands of the Syrian people by urgently implementing a
credible programme of political reforms as a path to long term stability in Syria. They called for the release of political prisoners
and human rights defenders."
Meanwhile Syrian news agency  SANA  reports that President Bashar al-Assad has given instructions to release all detainees in connection with the latest events, who have not committed criminal acts against the homeland and citizens.
This comes following President al-Assad's meetings with religious and public figures in a number of governorates, during which he listened to their proposals to upgrade national work.
The move comes in affirmation of President al-Assad's interest in solidifying cohesion among the Syrian people and in appreciation of their keenness on preserving Syria's security, safety and stability.