Belgium, Germany Want to Avoid Military Escalation in Syria

The foreign ministers of Belgium and Germany, Didier Reynders and Heiko Maas respectively, stressed on Friday the importance of finding a political situation to the Syrian conflict and avoiding an escalation, Brussels Times reported.

Reynders was particularly cautious when asked about the possibility of strikes against the Syrian regime, preferring to abstain from commenting on an event that has not yet occurred or may not happen.

"We should wait. We should certainly avoid a military escalation. A political solution is needed," the Belgian Foreign Minister explained. "We should exert pressure on the Syrian regime to come back to the table and discuss reaching a solution."

"The international community cannot remain indifferent to the use of chemical weapons," Maas said. "That cannot remain without consequences," he added, stressing that he absolutely wished to avoid a "military escalation".