EU Foreign Ministers to increase sanctions on Syria, ease restrictions on aid to Zimbabwe

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels are also expected to add 26 people, mostly military officials who support Assad, and two organizations that help finance the government, to an existing sanctions list.

EU governments gave preliminary backing to the new sanctions on Thursday and ministers are expected to give final approval today.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said it was important for countries to both stick to the peace plan of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and increase sanctions.

"It must be kept on the table and we must continue to support Kofi Annan's work, but it increasingly, of course, we are doing these other things, intensifying sanctions giving more support to the opposition, delivering more humanitarian aid and we will have to intensify our work outside the Security Council given the Security Council has not succeeded," Hague said.

His view was echoed by other European ministers arriving for the meeting.

"We very much want the European Union to take these two decisions: strengthening sanctions and providing humanitarian aid, because the European Union must manifest itself, we did it, but we have to do it stronger," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

The bloc has already imposed sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans on 49 organizations and 129 people in Syria, and a range of sanctions, including an arms embargo, on Syria as a nation. The new rule will oblige the EU's 27 member states to inspect and search ships in EU territorial waters and planes at EU airports if they have "reasonable grounds" to suspect they are carrying arms or equipment used for repression or banned dual-use goods.

The proposal to order the boarding of planes and ships with suspicious cargoes has been under discussion for some time.

Its passage was hastened by the mounting violence in Syria, including Wednesday's killing of three close Assad allies in a bomb attack in Damascus and other clashes there.

Many politicians say recent developments show the fall of Assad's regime is drawing closer.

"We see that there are cracks now within the inner core of the regime itself, and that is always the beginning of the end of a regime. We have seen that throughout history and we are hoping for that and we are confident that we are now talking not about the question whether Assad will step down, but only about the moment when he will do that," said Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal.

EU ministers are also set to lift restrictions on EU development aid to Zimbabwe and hold out the prospect of easing sanctions further, depending on improvements in the rule of law.

The move recognises economic difficulties in the southern African country and aims to persuade President Robert Mugabe's government to hold a fair referendum on constitutional changes later this year.

"I am very pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement on Zimbabwe, that is very important for me. I was delighted to see that the UK was able to join in with that and I thank them for that. We will hopefully confirm that today," EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said.

Currently the aid has to be directed through non-governmental organisations.

The EU's executive Commission channels around 100 million euros a year ($123 million) in development assistance to Zimbabwe.

Western governments have considered easing sanctions since a power-sharing deal was agreed between Mugabe and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, following disputed 2008 elections.

Fresh elections must be held by next year, with a new constitution drawn up first. A referendum is expected to be held on such reforms.

The EU could lift asset freezes and travel bans from a number of officials, not including Mugabe and his inner circle, if the referendum is deemed credible. Currently, 112 people are affected by such measures.