Libya: ‘Time To Consider Restrictive Measures’ – Ashton

Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, said that it is time to consider restrictive measures, “to think about what we can do to ensure that we’re putting as much pressure as possible to try and stop the violence in Libya.”

Ashton made the comments before the informal meeting of EU defence Ministers in Gödöllo, Hungary.

Ashton said that she had spoken the the UN’s Ban Ki Moon to offer support from the European Union and to the work of the Security Council.

“They’re meeting again today and you’ll see in the press that there will be a strong moves, in particular from the European countries to see the Security Council take action,” Ashton said.

Ashton said that “for the European Union it is time to consider what we call restrictive measures, to think about what we can do to ensure that we’re putting as much pressure as possible to try and stop the violence in Libya and see the country move forward and that’s what the PSC committee are discussing.”

According to Ashton these measures could includes travel bans and frozen assets.

“All of that in the next few days, we’ll see what we can do,” Ashton promised.

Ashton added that she has been contact with the White House “so we can synchronize what we do in the European Union with the international communities.”

“I will speak to Hillary Clinton later today and meet her on Monday,” Ashton said, adding that “Everything that we do, our objectives remain the same, which is to see a feasible dialogue, to move forward, for people to be able to get to the democracies they clearly want , and in my recent visit to Egypt and Tunisia we have given the same message.”

According to Ashton, “that’s what the people of Libya want, just as in any other country, they need to own the process and be in control of their country’s future.”