Schwarzenberg regrets EU failure to renew arms embargo on Syria

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said he regrets the EU’s failure to renew an arms embargo on Syria. Mr. Schwarzenberg told Czech Radio that since the EU had failed to achieve unity on the issue, responsibility would now rest with individual members. The Czech Republic, together with Austria, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands, fought to extend the arms embargo; they argued that more weapons would only lead to further violence and that it would be hard to control where the arms ended up. Although Britain and France stood firmly against the embargo they have made a commitment not to deliver arms to Syria for the time being.