Increasing international contacts on the crises in the Middle East and Libya, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, is seeking to strengthen the EU's role internationally.
“We have a strong political will to be more involved and more committed at international level”, he revealed on Thursday 9 January at a press conference in Zagreb with the Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council. In his view, the EU in particular has a more important role to play in the Middle East.
“We are a Union with 500 million citizens, a strong economic power. I am convinced that at the international level, we need to do more to promote our values and further promote and defend our interests”, he explained. He also emphasised, “It is important for the EU not only to observe what others will decide for us, but to be a player. (...) I want the EU to be part of the game, to be more involved externally”.
According to Mr Michel, “we will have the opportunity, together with the Member States, to be very active, not only in the short term, but also in the medium and long term”, while the situation in the Middle East and Libya could have negative consequences for the EU.
That is why the President of the European Council is trying “to develop many channels of communication” and to promote dialogue, he added. “Dialogue and negotiation are very important to make progress and to move in the right direction”, he added.
Avoiding irreversible acts
Before traveling to Egypt and Turkey on Saturday to discuss Libya and see if it is possible to “take action and play a greater role” in resolving the conflict, Mr Michel spoke by phone on Thursday 9 January, with Iranian President Hassan Rohani.
According to a press release from Mr Michel's office, he asked Iran “to avoid irreversible actions”, particularly with regard to the nuclear agreement. He also assured Mr Rohani that the EU was “ready to strengthen its engagement with all parties in order to defuse tensions”. According to the European Council, the Iranian President is reported to have stated that the EU has always played a stabilising and responsible role in the region and that his country is ready to continue close cooperation with the Union.
“The agreement on Iran's nuclear programme was an important achievement after ten years of intense international negotiations and remains an important tool for regional stability", added the President of the European Council. Speaking to the press, Charles Michel recalled that when the United States withdrew, the Europeans had taken the decision to support the agreement “not because it is perfect, but because it opens a channel of communication and reduces risks in the region”.
On Wednesday 8 January, US President Donald Trump called on JCPOA members to abandon the agreement. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)