On Tuesday 21 March, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called for the EU’s security and defence partnerships with third countries to be strengthened.
“Member States have to take responsibilities, we have to take seriously to make European defence stronger and more effective. We want to become a more stronger and valuable partner”, he stressed at the EEAS Schuman Security and Defence Partnership Forum.
“Let’s be humble, flexible and pragmatic and take into consideration the priorities of all our partners, and go for tailored approaches that reflect the realities of the country or the region we are dealing with”, Borrell said.
According to the High Representative, a number of partners - having seen the EU’s actions towards Ukraine - expect the EU to be as quick and effective in meeting their expectations. “This is a request that has to be answered. This is a new endeavour for us”, he explained.
Mr Borrell said the EU was ready to help its partners build resilience. “We need and want to strengthen our cyber dialogues with key partners such as the United States first, but also Japan and South Korea, to compare intelligence and coordinate sanctions against perpetrators of cyber attacks”, he explained.
He said the EU would soon be able to send hybrid rapid reaction teams to respond to requests from its partners “to identify vulnerabilities, investigate and provide practical support”.
In addition, Mr Borrell announced that he had heard calls for the delivery of lethal equipment under the ‘European Peace Facility’ (EPF). “We are working to start delivering such equipment to our African partners in the coming months”, he said, citing aid for helicopter ammunition to Niger and for training purposes to Somalia.
Mr Borrell also felt that the EU should offer targeted support to individual partners working on peace operations, particularly under the aegis of the UN. The EU is already doing this with Rwanda for its operation in Mozambique.
The High Representative also invited partners to participate more in EU CSDP missions and operations. Of the 5,000 civilian and military personnel deployed in the EU’s 21 CSDP missions, just under 300 are from third countries.
He also underlined a “growing appetite” for joint exercises. The EU has already conducted such exercises with South Korea, Oman, India and Japan, and will hold a maritime exercise with the US at the end of March.
Mr Borrell invited “everybody interested” to participate in the EU’s coordinated naval presence, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)