The European Union must reinstate Syria as a high priority on its agenda or the consequences will be disastrous, Italy and Austria's foreign ministers Antonio Tajani and Alexander Schallenberg have warned.
"With world attention focused on crisis hotspots such as Gaza and Ukraine, the situation in Syria has been relegated to the margins of our attention: in the media, but also in the EU's foreign policy," the ministers wrote Monday in a joint article.
"This is a strategic mistake," Tajani and Schallenberg underlined in the article published in the Rome-based Messaggero..
Despite massive humanitarian aid, including EUR 33 billion from the largest international donor, the EU, the Syrian people are still living in miserable conditions, the article warned.
"Over 16 million people are in need of life-saving assistance: the highest number ever recorded since the beginning of the (13-year-old) conflict."
And the suffering of Syrians extends far beyond the country's borders, the article noted.
"Syria is still the source of the world's largest refugee crisis, with 13.8 million internally displaced persons and refugees. Many are still on the move, prey to highly profitable people trafficking. We feel these effects far beyond the Middle East, even in Italy, Austria and the rest of Europe," Tajani and Schallenberg affirmed.
Meanwhile, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad remains firmly in power and with the support of Russia and Iran, the Syrian regime has regained control of over 70 percent of the country, the ministers pointed out.
"Our Arab partners in the region have recognised this unfortunate reality, and have readmitted Syria to the League of Arab States," Tajani and Schallenberg noted.
The article accused the EU of "lagging behind" in its strategic thinking.
"Thirteen year on, we have to admit that the EU's approach has not kept pace with the evolving situation on the ground," the authors wrote.
"Any further action, of course, cannot and must not involve any compromise on the basic principles of democracy, inclusiveness, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," the authors underlined.
The article called for the re-launch of "meaningful dialogue" between the Assad regime in Damascus and the opposition, within the framework of the political process led by UN special envoy Geir Pedersen.
"We therefore call on Assad to show the necessary flexibility in a reconciliation process, which is needed to get Syria back on track," Tajani and Schallenberg wrote.
"In this context, we believe it is time to rethink our approach to Syria," the ministers argued.
Together with the foreign ministers of Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia and Slovenia, Tajani and Schallenberg said they have invited the EU's foreign policy chief to review the bloc's strategy on Syria.
"Our goal is a more realistic, proactive and effective policy on Syria to increase our political influence, the effectiveness of our humanitarian assistance and to create the conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees," the ministers wrote.
As the situation in Syria and neighbouring countries in the region continues to deteriorate, maintaining the status quo "is not an option," the ministers underscored.
"We must finally put Syria back on the EU agenda as a top priority," the article emphasised.
"If we do not, the consequences for Syria' civilian population, for neighbouring countries in the region, for our Mediterranean partners and, ultimately, for Europe, will be disastrous," the article concluded.
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