EU, South Korea underline support for Geneva II conference on Syria

The European Union (EU) and South Korea Friday pledged to work together to resolve crises, including Syria, and to step up the fight against terrorism. Speaking at a press conference after the 7th EU-South Korea summit in Brussels, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said the forthcoming conclusions of an agreement for the participation of the Korea "in EU crisis management operation will significantly increase our capacity to cooperate in this field and we welcome already ongoing joined work in theatres such as Mali or Somalia." "I welcome her invitation to the EU to participate in her North East Asia peace and cooperation initiative. Prosperity and security in East Asia is of vital interest to the EU and we are ready to work with our friends and partners in its consolidation," he stressed. On her part, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Korea and EU have decided to work together on crisis at international level. "We are going to work together for example on Syrian crisis or on the fight against piracy or against terrorism," she said. Geun-hye informed the EU side about the security situation in the Korean peninsula and generally in the Eastern Asia Region. A joint statement after the summit said "the leaders noted with great concern the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and in the neighbouring countries, the unacceptable levels of violence and the widespread and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, which continue to cause suffering to millions of Syrians." "They called for a swift destruction of the chemical weapons arsenal under the UN Security Council resolution 2118, and for meaningful engagement of all Syrian parties in the political process leading to a peace conference (Geneva 2). Both sides confirmed their strong commitment to extend humanitarian assistance, including to refugees from and inside Syria, as well as support for reconstruction for a Syria in transition," it said. The EU, said the statement, "welcomed the commitments made by the ROK (Republic of Korea) in the framework of the High Level Donors' Conference for the Development of Mali held on 15 May 2013 in Brussels and the contribution of the ROK to the Djibouti Training Centre in the mission in the Horn of Africa. The participation of the ROK in crisis management missions of this kind significantly reinforces the EU's efforts to promote stability and security in these regions." The statement said that "they remain deeply concerned about the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its decision to cease all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Leaders stressed that the DPRK cannot have the status of a nuclear-weapon State." A separate joint declaration to mark fifty years of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the European Union issued after the summit today said "we will continue our efforts to contribute to peace, stability and prosperity around the world and to work more closely together in addressing crises." "In this regard, we will also strengthen our efforts to address key global challenges through practical cooperation in issues such as human rights, development, climate change, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, non-proliferation, cyber-security and counter-piracy," it noted.