Brussels: The European Union could toughen sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's government in days over his crackdown on pro-democracy protests, EU foreign ministers said Monday.
The EU has already imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Al Assad and other officials and targeted military-linked companies over the crackdown in which rights groups say more than 1,400 civilians have been killed since protests began in March.
"The situation remains very serious and if anything [is] deteriorating," British foreign minister William Hague said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. "President [Al] Assad should reform or step aside."
"Certainly there will be a time for further sanctions and we need to be discussing now what those would be," he said.
Necessary
He said the 27-country EU had already imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 34 individuals and entities and "the work now needs to start so we can add to that if necessary over the coming days and weeks".
Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said the possibility of strengthening measures in future had to be "kept in mind".
"It is necessary to appeal again to [Al] Assad in a strict manner to conduct the talks with the opposition he has announced. This dialogue should lead to an end to the violence that is happening again and again at demonstrations," Spindelegger said.
The European Parliament earlier called for EU member states to impose more sanctions on Syria and said the bloc should help Turkey and Lebanon set up a humanitarian aid corridor.
