The foreign ministers of the European Union all agree that efforts must be continued to seek a political solution to the Syrian conflict because that is the only way to end the current "bloodshed", Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared following the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Dublin on March 23.

János Martonyi stated that the Syrian conflict is one of the most acute issues at the moment, but the participants of an informal meeting make no decision, just openly discuss important matters. Thus, the foreign ministers were debating the question of whether the arms embargo against Syria should be lifted after May. He said there are arguments both for and against the lifting of the embargo, "but we need not, and indeed must not take a decision on the issue at the moment". There was consensus among EU foreign ministers that a political solution must be found, because all other options would imply extremely serious risks – he added.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister noted that it was possible to supply non-lethal equipment such as bullet-proof vests and transport vehicles to the opposition forces in Syria, just as it was permitted to provide them with technical assistance and consulting.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)