The international community must remain united if it is to defeat the threat of Da’esh. That was the message of High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini at the third ministerial meeting of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to counter Da’esh, which took place in Rome on Tuesday 2 February.
“There is a global threat we need to tackle as a global coalition, with some territorial focus on Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. It is a battle for hearts and minds, to win it we need to unite and avoid exacerbating the sectarian divide”, she said.
She underlined that: “As far as the European Union is concerned, there is no possible military solution (…) After years of division, there is a window of opportunity that will not stay open forever”.
“We are unanimous in our certainty that the Coalition’s actions against ISIL/Da’esh are gaining momentum, with strong impact”, said the Foreign Ministers in a common statement.
They reckoned that: “We will intensify and accelerate the campaign against ISIL/Da’esh in Iraq and Syria, act in concert to curb its global ambitions and take every measure to ensure the protection of our citizens”.
They also declared that: “continued success requires that the Coalition expand its multifaceted approach, one that goes beyond battle lines and seeks to deprive ISIL/Da’esh of oxygen on every possible front”.
Mogherini calls for unity
Rome – joint declaration