European Union foreign ministers weighed how to restrict Egypt’s access to arms and military aid in response to escalating violence in the nation.
The U.K. and Germany said they had suspended their arms exports and urged other countries to review their own military cooperation with Egypt, as ministers from the 28 EU states gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in the Arab nation. At the same time, ministers said they wanted to support the Egyptian people and avoid taking sides in the country’s internal struggles.
“Business as usual is not possible,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters in Brussels today as he arrived for the meeting. “We will consider, observe, and then we will draw our consequences on Egypt.”
The Egyptian government’s crackdown on Islamic protests has led to a spasm of violence that has left more than 900 civilians dead in the span of a week. The unrest prompted the EU to summon foreign ministers to an emergency meeting to consider the consequences of recent events.
As the meeting began, ministers stopped short of calling for full-fledged economic sanctions on Egypt, instead urging limits on weapon sales along with renewed efforts to find a political solution. The EU in November announced 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid and loans available to Egypt, including about 1 billion euros in direct EU assistance that has mostly been on hold because Egypt hasn’t met payment conditions.
Public Protests
Egypt’s military leaders toppled the Muslim Brotherhood-allied government of President Mohamed Morsi, the nation’s first freely elected leader, on July 3 after growing public protests against his actions. Egyptian authorities are pressing ahead with a crackdown on the Brotherhood that has battered the 85-year-old Islamist organization’s leadership.
“We want to see an inclusive political process in Egypt and it means we condemn disproportionate acts of the security forces in Egypt,” U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague said, also condemning recent attacks on churches and hospitals. “Such actions do not win support for the Muslim Brotherhood or anybody working with them.”
Source: Bloomberg
