EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said Syria "cannot be a partner to the European Union or to the international community" while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains in power.

Speaking at the European Union Ministerial Conference titled 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region' Borrell said, "more than 400,000 people have died, perhaps 100,000 more have disappeared and over 12 million refugees and internally displaced people."

"Over 13 million people need humanitarian assistance, half of them are children, it means that a whole generation of Syrians have only known war," he said at the conference, held from Brussels on Tuesday.

He stated the European Union backs the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2254 adopted in 2015, stressing, "the Syrian regime and its allies should consider what is on offer if they abide by the United Nations Security Council resolution, restoration of regular investment and trade, normalisation of diplomatic ties, international support for the reconstruction of Syria's infrastructure."

"The regime offers no future to the Syrian people, it makes no contribution to stability on the region, unless this changes it cannot be a partner to the European Union or to the international community, that is why we call for a change [of] behaviour, a clear and unambiguous decision to end the repression and engage meaningfully with the United Nations land negotiations," Borrell concluded.