Monday, Apr 23, 2012
LUXEMBOURG (Dow Jones)--The European Union is mulling options in response to violence between Sudan and South Sudan and should have a clear view on its next steps at its foreign ministers meeting in May.
"We need to watch carefully what happens" on the ground, Ashton said at the close of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "We are looking into a range of different things."
Pressed on whether she agreed with French foreign affairs official Henri de Raincourt that sanctions could be adopted against the two countries, Ashton said she didn't want to "pre-empt the situation," though she said the EU will seek to "put the right and positive pressure" on both sides.
"By the time of the next Council," the EU should have a "clear view about what we should do next," she said.
In comments to reporters earlier Monday, de Raincourt said that if the situation doesn't "evolve favorably we could consider establishing sanctions against those who don't respect the conditions for resolving the crisis."
-By Laurence Norman, Dow Jones Newswires; +32 (0)2 741 1481; laurence.norman@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
23-04-12 1521GMT
