Brussels, 15/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European foreign ministers will meet in Luxembourg on Monday 18 April for another Foreign Affairs Council. While many items are on the agenda, conclusions are only expected on Libya.
After an Association Council between the EU and Tunisia, the Council will begin with the traditional comments from High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini - this time on the attacks in Brussels and the fight against terrorism, her visit to Iran on 16 April, the agreement with Cuba that the ministers are expected to approve in May or June, and the comprehensive strategy that Mogherini will present to the Council in June.
The ministers will then meet the Colombian high commissioner for peace Sergio Jaramillo, along with the EU special envoy for the peace process in Colombia Eamon Gilmore. They will review the peace negotiations.
The Council will then discuss external aspects of migration, such as the EUNavfor Med operation (Mogherini visited it on 15 April) and the ongoing discussions with third countries (especially on migrant returns). The Council will be joined for dinner by the UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi to discuss the migration crisis.
The early afternoon will be given over to the strategy on Syria, Iraq and the fight against ISIL as part of the six-monthly review. The Council will discuss the success of this strategy, along with the changes that are needed to it and its key priorities. Four issues will be highlighted in the debate: how to restore/establish national unity governments; how to build resilient societies on the socio-economic level; how to suffocate ISIL as regards recruitment and financing; and how to increase the counter-narrative efforts for fighting radicalisation.
The ministers will then discuss the EU's relations with the eastern partner countries ahead of the Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting on 23 May. They could also speak about the need for reforms in the partner countries, and the renewed tension in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Dutch minister, Bert Koenders, could inform his partners about the consultation held in the Netherlands, where they voted to reject the EU-Ukraine association agreement.
The EU foreign ministers will then meet their counterparts in defence for a videoconference with Libya's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and they will also discuss Libya over dinner (see other article).
In addition, the ministers will adopt conclusions without debate on the mission support platform, which will be established to provide support and introduce more efficiency, flexibility and economies of scale to civil CSDP missions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)