25 Mar 2013

No decision yet on weapons for Syrian rebels

10:45 am on 25 March 2013

After two days of talks among European Union foreign ministers there is still no agreement on a plan put forward by Britain and France to consider providing weapons to the Syrian rebels.

The EU arms embargo on Syria expires at the end of May but as things stand, it is likely to be renewed.

Before the meeting began, France and Britain made clear their deep concern that failure to arm the rebels could have disastrous consequences, the BBC reports.

All other EU member states are wary of weapons falling into the hands of extremists.

At the end of the talks, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said it was very difficult to detect any enthusiasm for providing arms to a country already awash with them.

EU foreign policy chief Lady Ashton said every effort should be made to find a political solution before the arms embargo expires at the end of May.