AlHijjah 28, 1436, October 12, 2015, SPA -- EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini pledged Monday to take a more active role in the UN-led efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria, even as the bloc called on Russia to end airstrikes against opposition groups in the war-torn country, dpa reported. The conflict in Syria has killed at least 250,000 people since 2011, according to the United Nations. More than half the country's pre-war population of 22.4 million has been internally displaced or fled abroad. Mogherini said it was time for a "reality check," noting that more than four years after the start of the conflict, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is still in power and terrorist groups are gaining ground. She said the EU will put its "full political weight" behind the UN process. "I don't exclude that, in the near future, [UN Syria envoy] Staffan de Mistura and myself have joint meetings with some of the actors in the region or internationally," Mogherini added. However she stopped short of saying that the EU would negotiate directly with members of the Syrian regime. Instead, she mentioned the prospect of talks with Turkey, as well as discussions she is due to hold with Iranian officials on Tuesday. Mogherini was speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, focused on Syria. Worsening conditions in the region have led to a surge in Syrian refugees heading to Europe, triggering the continent's biggest migration flows since World War II. The refugee crisis "is not the reason for Europe's engagement, but it gives us ... a greater justification to be involved in these discussions," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. But member states are divided over the role that al-Assad should play in a future political transition to lead the country out of conflict - while in agreement that he cannot stay in power long term. "Assad is a reality, ... he is a factor," noted Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak. His Luxembourg counterpart, Jean Asselborn, warned against the perils of creating a "vacuum" in Syria, pointing to the example of Libya, where extremist groups have thrived as two rival governments have vied for power. Other ministers insisted that al-Assad cannot be part of a solution to the Syrian conflict. "For peace in Syria, you need a political transition. It needs to be done without Bashar al-Assad," said French secretary of state for European Affairs, Harlem Desir. "We can be flexible about the manner of his departure, we can be flexible about the timing of his departure, but if we try to work with Assad we will only drive the opposition into the arms of [Islamic State]," added British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
