EU impose fresh sanctions on Syria

GERMANY: The European Union imposed fresh sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad's regime Monday, targeting government ministries, companies and one individual, while clarifying an existing EU arms embargo. The measures were approved by foreign ministers of the 27-nation-bloc meeting in Luxembourg, an EU statement said.

The asset freeze and travel ban were the 16th round of restrictive EU measures imposed on the Assad regime.

No details were immediately available on the identities of those targeted.

The sanctions also include a specific ban on insuring items embargoed for delivery to Syria, including arms shipments.

The measure follows an incident some days ago involving a British-insured Russian cargo ship carrying attack helicopters for Syria.

The United States alerted Britain to the consignment and British security services told insurers Standard Club that providing insurance for the shipment would breach EU sanctions, reports said. Standard Club then cancelled insurance for the ship as well as others in the fleet owned by Russian cargo line Femco, forcing the vessel to head home

AFP.