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Assad poster in Damascus. Massari said the oil embargo is not designed to create 'regime change' from the outside but to help home-grown protesters bring in reforms (Photo: oliverlaumann)

Italy defends bid to delay EU oil ban on Syria

Italy has said that delaying the EU oil embargo on Syria will not make any difference to the regime. But fellow member states believe "there is not a day to lose".

Italian foreign ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari told EUobserver on Wednesday (31 August) that Rome wants the oil ban to come into force on 30 November instead of mid-October, as agreed by most other EU countries.

He explained the delay will not affect Syrian President Bashar Assad's income because European oil impor...

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

Assad poster in Damascus. Massari said the oil embargo is not designed to create 'regime change' from the outside but to help home-grown protesters bring in reforms (Photo: oliverlaumann)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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