By Nicola Smith - 21st March 2004
EU foreign ministers will on Monday try to salvage a trade and political deal with Syria which may be on the rocks over a Western demand that Damascus sign up to pledges on nuclear weapons programmes.
Buoyed by recent success with Iran and Libya, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands are pushing Syria to publicly renounce 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' (WMD) by inserting a special clause in a trade deal concluded in December after years of talks.
But Syria’s reluctance to sign up to firmer terms than other countries in the region, has left the talks “in limbo” with no obvious solution, say EU officials.
The spat may jeopardise the initialling of a deal with Syria, which would be the last in a series of 12 North African and Middle Eastern countries to conclude an ‘Association Agreement’ with Brussels.
“We would have a great deal to lose if we don’t do the deal, on both the EU and the Syrian side,” cautioned one Brussels official.
The signing of trade and political agreements with Mediterranean rim nations under the EU’s so-called ‘Barcelona’ process is the main driving force behind Brussels’ aim to create a Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone by 2010.
Each pact creates preferential trade terms in exchange for closer cooperation on human rights, terrorism and a commitment to economic liberalisation.
The agreement with Syria would mark the first time the EU had imposed a conditionality clause on WMD in a trade accord with a non-EU country.
Officials working close to the talks say negotiators are trying to strike a delicate balance to keep the Syrians on side while setting a precedent with the new WMD requirements.
Many with the EU want to use closer ties with Damascus to boost reform and help modernise the economy.
But with the Syrian case expected to set an important precedent, some countries fear that too much flexibility would undermine the credibility of future non-proliferation clauses
Damascus is reported to be reluctant to sign up to anything that could be discriminatory.
Speaking to EUpolitix.com, Palestinian ambassador Shawky Armaly questioned why the regime should be treated differently to Israel, a country that had the "same arms and nuclear weapons."
One EU official said that while the WMD clause, agreed on November 17 last year, was not retroactive, it would be included in any renewed agreements.
“There is also the possibility of engaging in debate if an agreement is not open. The Syrians have made this point very strongly,” she said.
While many EU capitals are keen to keep the Syrians on board, the deal has not been a stranger to controversy already.
Europe’s determination to improve ties with Damascus has put it at loggerheads with Washington’s firmer line.
The US in December imposed sanctions on Syria, accusing the regime of harbouring terrorists, developing weapons of mass destruction and damaging peace efforts in the Middle East.
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