Norway welcomes decision on Syria

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre commented, “Norway welcomes the important work being done by the Arab League to end the violence in Syria. Sunday’s historic decision to introduce sanctions shows that the region has lost confidence in the Assad regime. 

The decision to introduce sanctions was taken when Syria failed to follow up the Arab League’s peace plan for the country. The sanctions will include a travel ban, freezing assets and stopping financial transactions and trade in certain goods. They have been drawn up with a view to exerting pressure on the Syrian authorities, not on the people. The Arab League is also looking into the possibility of stopping flights to and from Syria. 

“The Arab League’s decision shows that countries in the region are joining the international community in condemning the Syrian authorities’ policy. We hope that the pressure from the Arab people in the region and the extensive sanctions introduced by the Arab League, the US and the EU, which Norway has aligned itself with, will bring about a change of course in Syria,” said Mr Støre.