Brussels (AINA) -- In response to a question posed by European Parliament member Esther de Lange on the persecution of Assyrians in Iraq, High Representative/Vice-President Ashton said the following on behalf of the Commission:

Following the High Representative's condemnation of the attacks, the Foreign Affairs Council addressed the issue of violence against religious minorities in general and in Iraq in particular at its meeting in November 2010 and adopted conclusions on Iraq. The Council expressed its deep concern and outright condemnation of the recent attacks in Iraq against Christian and Muslim worshippers. The Council also stressed that a new government in Iraq will need to rededicate itself to the pursuit of national reconciliation. This means it should represent the interests and needs of all Iraqis, regardless of religion or belief or ethnicity. The protection and promotion of human rights, including those of persons belonging to minorities, must be a top priority.

In its dialogue with Iraq, the European Union frequently voices its human rights concerns, including on freedom of religion or belief and elimination of all forms of discrimination and intolerance.

A substantial proportion of EU support has gone to the most vulnerable Iraqis. Many of them are -- for obvious reasons -- internally displaced, and now live in areas with dense minority group populations. EU assistance has ranged from work to ensure protection and promotion of their human rights, to the rehabilitation of schools in an area like Nineveh, which has a large Christian population. Humanitarian assistance also continues to reach the most vulnerable inside and outside Iraq.

The EU assistance provided is based on the principles of non-discrimination and impartiality and targets the most vulnerable people, wherever they live.

The EU does not underestimate the challenges facing the Iraqi government. It is no easy task to root out the extremists who seek to create sectarian tensions through acts of barbarity. Security, development and the preservation of human rights are inextricably linked. The EU remains committed to helping Iraq as best it can to secure progress on all three. The Iraqi people deserve no less.

The EU has a very active role in protecting and promoting all human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with international standards. This refers to the whole world. The November 2009 General Affairs Council adopted conclusions underlining the EU's strong attachment to freedom religion or belief, and tasked the EU bodies to evaluate existing initiatives and elaborate further proposals on EU action in this regard. A comprehensive EU action plan on this issue has been developed and is being implemented. The EU has stepped up its actions to address freedom of religion or belief in its contacts with non-EU countries.

The EU also continues to play an active role on the issue in the multilateral forums, in particular the United Nations General Assembly. Every year the EU leads a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly on 'Elimination of all forms of intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief'. In 2010 it was adopted by consensus, thereby with the support of all the Arab League States. In its last resolution dated 16 November 2010 the General Assembly condemned all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief as well as recognised with deep concern the overall rise in instances of intolerance and violence, regardless of the actors, directed against members of many religious and other communities in various parts of the world.

The EU will continue to follow the developments very closely.

Assyrians in Iraq, who are Christian, have suffered a low-grade genocide report which began on June 26, 2004, when the first of their churches was bombed (see church bombings in Iraq). The latest attack occurred on October 31, in which 58 Assyrians were killed in Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Church by members of the Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda affiliate (see Baghdad Church massacre).