On Monday 15 October, the European ministers of foreign affairs spoke in Luxembourg about the possibility of setting up a contact group to facilitate the resumption of political dialogue in Venezuela between the Maduro regime and the opposition, with the cooperation of regional organisations.
We want to see if the EU can play a helpful role to avoid the situation in the country going from "very bad to worse", High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini stated. She said that the EU "will explore the possibility of establishing a contact group to see if there are conditions to facilitate – not a mediation, there not conditions for that – but the facilitation of a political process" which includes the Venezuelan government, opposition and regional actors.
The ministers reaffirmed the EU's policy towards Venezuela, consisting of targeted sanctions on several figures close to the Maduro regime (see EUROPE 12048) and humanitarian aid to two million Venezuelans who have fled the country (see EUROPE 12036). "The EU is not looking at softening its position in any way", Mogherini stated.
For the Spanish minister, Josep Borrell, "it is not an issue of changing policy" but of seeing what more can be done to provide humanitarian assistance. However, the member states reject the military option, he added.
The Foreign Affairs Council will adopt new conclusions in November on the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)