The Arab League and European Union have tightened sanctions against the Syrian regime in an attempt to force president Bashar al-Assad into ending a bloody military crackdown that has cost at least 3,500 lives.
The European Union today agreed new sanctions on Syria's oil and financial sectors and added 11 entities and 12 people to an EU blacklist imposed over the crackdown on dissent.
The list of new names will become public tomorrow, although a western diplomatic source confirmed that Syrian state oil company, the General Petroleum Corporation (GPC) would be among those targeted.
Diplomats said oil majors such as Royal Dutch Shell and France's Total could see their Syrian ventures grind to a halt as GPC joins the roster of sanctioned companies.
"These new measures are related to the energy, financial, banking and trade sectors and include the listing of additional individuals and entities that are involved in the violence or directly supporting the regime," EU foreign ministers said in a statement.
They added 12 people and 11 institutions and firms to an asset freeze and asset ban list, and prohibited financial support for trade and loans to the Syrian government, both bilateral and through international financial institutions.
The new measures prohibit EU firms from trading in Syrian state debt and ban banks from Syria from opening branches in EU countries or investing in European banks.
They also ban the export of equipment for the Syrian oil and gas industry, including refining and exploration, and investment by EU companies in firms constructing new power plants in Syria.
The sanctions also ban sales of software or equipment that can be used for Internet or telecommunications surveillance and the EU statement called for "restraint" on shorter-term trade support.
EU countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against the government of Dr Assad since May over its violent suppression of unrest, including an embargo on Syrian oil and a ban on new investment in the energy sector.
Earlier today, the Arab League placed senior Syrian figures on a travel ban list. The 22-member Arab League has already suspended Syria over its refusal to abide by a peace plan requiring Dr Assad to stop using force against protesters, free prisoners, accept a 500-strong observer mission and start a dialogue with the opposition.
Convening in Cairo, the Arab League listed 17 Syrians banned from travel to Arab states, including Dr Assad's brother Maher who commands the military's elite Republican Guard and is Syria's second most powerful man.
Dr Assad himself was not on the draft blacklist.
The Egyptian state news agency said the list, part of a sanctions policy adopted at the weekend by 19 of the League's 22 members, includes the defence and interior ministers, intelligence officials and senior military officers.
Iraq and Lebanon, neighbours of Syria who have sensitive sectarian, strategic and trade relationships with Damascus, declined to join the league's sanctions campaign.
The league's committee charged with overseeing sanctions also recommended stopping flights to and from Syria starting in mid-December. But it said sales of wheat, medicine, gas and electricity should be exempted from the embargo.
Syria's biggest trade partner Turkey suspended all financial credit dealings with Damascus and froze its assets yesterday, joining the Arab League in isolating Dr Assad.
The United States urged other countries to follow suit.
The world's largest Muslim body, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, yesterday urged Syria to "immediately stop the use of excessive force" against its citizens so as to avert any prospect of foreign intervention.
Kuwait issued an advisory to its citizens today warning them to leave Syria for their own good.
Reuters