By Martin Banks - 22nd March 2011
We sometimes have to engage in dialogue with regimes with whom we would prefer not to have to do
Catherine Ashton
EU foreign affairs supremo Catherine Ashton has denied the EU has "lagged behind" in its response to the crisis in Libya and the Arab world.
But, addressing parliament on Tuesday, she admitted that the EU sometimes had to engage in dialogue with regimes "it would prefer not to do so".
This was, in part, a response to allegations that arms and weapons supplied by EU member states had been used by Libyan security personnel loyal to the regime of colonel Moammar Gadhafi against rebel forces.
She said the EU's key task was to provide "the deep long-term support" to Libya's people to help them toward "freedom and democracy."
Ashton said, "Yes, we sometimes have to engage in dialogue with regimes with whom we would prefer not to have to do so but, always, the aim is to help the people of that country."
She played down criticism that the EU had been slow to respond to the unfolding crisis in the region, including Libya, saying, "Sometimes, we do lag behind and it can be difficult to keep up with events but we have not been lagging behind at all in this case.
"On the contrary, we have been out front."
Ashton, who was addressing a packed meeting of the foreign affairs committee, said the immediate aim of the EU was to ensure humanitarian aid reached those most in need in Libya.
She said, "Gaddafi's forces are thought to be focusing on a town about 50km from Benghazi in order to cut off its water supplies. Our current task is to make sure that water gets through to Benghazi."
Ashton said, "Overall, our aim in this mission is to ensure that Libya is democratic, that human rights there are respected and people have the right to elect their leaders as we do in Europe."
Ashton also called for the governments in Yemen and Bahrain to engage with the opposition and to desist from any violence against civilians.
She condemned what she called stepped up "systematic repression" by Iran's government of the opposition.
Ashton, said the EU stands behind the implementation of last week's United Nations security council resolution on Libya.
"Everything that we do has one objective—and that is to help the people of Libya."
Her appearance in parliament comes after the EU agreed on Monday on a significant extension of its sanctions on Libya even while member states continued to express differences over military action in the north African country.
The EU also announced it was slapping an asset freeze on former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and 18 other officials of his regime.
Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the EU agreed to extend the asset freeze and travel ban on Libya to 11 extra people and nine more entities in Libya.
It is the second time in just over a week that the EU has broadened its sanctions.
On 11 March, the EU added one person and five entities, including Libya's central bank and sovereign wealth fund, to the list of 26 people named in the initial sanctions last month.
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