ReliefWeb

Anders Samuelsen, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is emphasising Denmark’s broad commitment in Syria, in announcing a resource allocation of EUR 6.7 million (DKK 50 million) to the Danish stabilisation efforts in 2017. Among other purposes, the contribution will go to the support of the Free Syrian Police, Syrian civil defense and the UN-led peace negotiations.

”Syria’s conflict has an especially high priority in Danish foreign policy. The situation remains delicate and the Danish efforts must play their part in creating stability for the Syrian population in opposition-controlled areas. Jointly with the humanitarian contribution, our stabilisation efforts are an important instrument for improving the Syrian population’s situation and for contributing to the work aimed at a political solution to the conflict”, Anders Samuelsen notes.

The new contribution to the stabilisation efforts will be put to use in the opposition-controlled part of Syria, mainly in the north. Here the contribution will, among other tasks, expand upon previous Danish activities aimed at supporting Syrian civil defense and the Free Syrian Police. These organisations are working to save lives and to create security for the Syrian population. The contribution will also provide support to the UN’s Special Envoy for Syria and those efforts to bring the parties in the conflict closer to a political solution.

”The conflict cannot be solved by military means alone. That is why we are continuing this mission to help the UN in advancing a political solution to the conflict. The negotiations in Geneva are moving forward but there is still a need for a targeted political commitment to get all players involved to move the process in the same direction”, Anders Samuelsen explains.

The contribution – part of the Danish three-year stabilisation programme for Syria and Iraq (2016-2018) – comes as the starting-point for the international Syria conference in Brussels on 5 April. There, around 70 countries, the EU and the UN are gathering to discuss Syria’s future. Beyond this, at the weekend Denmark announced a new humanitarian approval of funding amounting to EUR 33.5 million (DKK 250 million). This is expected to be distributed among UN organisations, the Red Cross, and Danish and international NGOs after the conference. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is participating in the conference.

For more information, contact: Special advisor Niels Th. Dahl, +45 61 97 91 59