Your circumstance is entirely hypothetical, and I'm quite clear it won't arise.

I think you ought to say so, otherwise your comparison is entirely worthless.

To me it's entirely speculative and hypothetical.

What we are discussing is what we have to do, the very clear undertakings given by the European Council at a summit last December and again this June, to lead to an opening of negotiations on October 3rd. I will say that I am reasonably hopeful that this deadline can be met.

As far as 'Syria next on the list', we made clear that it is not,

Because it was quite dark in that corner I was being pushed towards shaking hands with somebody just as a matter of courtesy and then it transpired it was President Mugabe.