EU still waiting for UN report on use of chemical weapons in Syria

Although NATO, France, the UK, and US have confirmed to have information that the Syrian regime attacked Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, with chemical gas on 21 August killing hundreds of people, the EU Tuesday said it will await the UN investigation report before blaming any side. "We are taking note of all information coming in. We condemn in the strongest term the chemical attack and call on the international community to take strong action," Michael Mann, spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, told a news conference. "Let's wait till definitive information has been drawn together particularly by UN inspectors. We prefer to wait to see the results of the UN inspectors before making any definitive judgement," he said. "We want the international community to come to an united view on the Syrian crisis whether that is through a Security Council resolution," said Mann. " The most important thing is that the international community works together and that there is a diplomatic solution to end the violence and bloodshed in Syria," he said. The spokesman said that "so far the UN Security Council has failed to come to that sort of agreement. We hope that will change and that the international community will work together to end this terrible crisis." Meanwhile, Mann confirmed that Ashton has invited US Secretary of State John Kerry to attend an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers to be hosted by the current Lithuanian EU Presidency in Vilnius on Friday and Saturday. " We are awaiting final confirmation about his presence," he said. He added that there will also be an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Vilnius on Thursday and Friday to prepare for the EU leaders meeting in Brussels in December which will be focused on defence policy issues.