International community must focus on political settlement of the Syrian crisis, head of European Commission José Manuel Barroso said ahead of the G200 summit in Saint Petersburg.

He called situation in Syria “the biggest humanitarian tragedy of our times”.

“We all have a duty to act, and the European Union believes that efforts should be developed towards a political solution for the conflict and the European Union is indeed providing relief, more than EUR 1.3 bn so far, for the people on the ground suffering the consequences of this most dramatic situation,” Barroso said.