THE HAGUE - The European Union (EU) had reached an agreement in principle on an oil embargo against Syria, Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said here on Thursday.

The 27-member bloc will announce the embargo on Friday, Rosenthal said.

"The Netherlands is involved in an EU oil embargo and new EU sanctions. I think that tomorrow they can be effective," Rosenthal said in a press statement.

According to the Foreign Minister, the EU will ban all imports of crude oil and oil product from Syria, as well as on financing and insurance of oil transport linked to the unrest-torn country. This means it will be difficult to import oil from Syria even for non-EU countries.

Rosenthal stressed that the restrictive measures are aimed at the government and not to punish the Syrian people.

Meanwhile, the EU will also expand its list of sanctions on Syria by adding four people who support the regime financially as well as three companies including a bank. In addition, cooperation with the Syrian regime will be put on hold and all the talks about transport and investments will be stopped.