The Member States’ foreign affairs ministers will meet in Luxembourg on Monday 26 June. Ukraine will form a large part of the discussions, as will tensions in northern Kosovo, the political crisis in Tunisia and the subject of digital diplomacy, on which the ministers are expected to adopt the conclusions of the European Council.
Ukraine. The ministers will first discuss, once again, the situation in Ukraine since the Russian aggression and, as usual, will have a prior video link with the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba. This will provide them with information on the situation on the ground after the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
The discussion will focus on military support, the issue of accountability, the solution of Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace formula and the increasing number of contacts the EU is making in an attempt to rally maximum support on the international stage.
“On the military issue, we are making a lot of progress. Soldiers are being trained faster than expected. 24,000 soldiers have been trained out of the target of 30,000 planned by the end of the year”, a senior official said on Friday, also highlighting the progress made in terms of the supply of munitions and missiles.
The ministers will discuss raising the ceiling of the European Peace Facility (EPF) to €3.5 billion. The EU Council’s decision on this matter will be taken on Monday. However, no decision will be taken on the payment of the 8th instalment of the EPF, “because Hungary has not lifted its veto”, according to this senior official.
“The instalments are instruments for ex-post reimbursements for the Member States”, said one diplomat.
In addition, the ministers should welcome the adoption of the eleventh package of sanctions adopted on Friday, which aims to counter the circumvention by third countries of the sanctions imposed on Russia (see other news). “This is an important signal of willingness and conviction”, said the same diplomat.
Peace formula. With regard to the peace formula, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will review with the ministers the prospects for broadening international support for this plan, ahead of the meeting this weekend in Copenhagen, organised by the Ukrainian authorities and to which the European Commission, the United States, South Africa, Brazil, India and China have been invited. This meeting will be held at the level of national security advisers. Josep Borrell will not attend.
“We are working on this peace formula based on respect for the United Nations Charter and territorial integrity”, said a senior European official. Hence, in the official’s view, the importance of this meeting in Copenhagen. However, “no date has yet been set” for the peace summit, which was “planned for July”.
They will also address the issue of impunity for war crimes. “We want to make progress towards a common European position”, said one diplomat.
The ministers will also adopt: - the decision on the extension of the Cotonou Agreement to avoid a legal vacuum on 30 June due to Poland’s blocking of the signature and provisional application of the Post-Cotonou Agreement (see other news); - the conclusions on Somalia and others on the International Criminal Court.
The adoption of conclusions on development cooperation is jeopardised by Poland’s opposition to any gender-related wording.
Serbia/Kosovo. The ministers of the Member States will also address the issue of tension and violence in the north of Kosovo, which began on 26 May when Albanian mayors elected in four Serb-majority municipalities took office (see EUROPE 13205/28). Josep Borrell, who met Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels on 22 June (see other news), will update the relevant ministers on the situation.
“The ministers want to avoid escalation and, for the EU, it is important to have a balanced approach between the two parties”, said an EU diplomatic source.
The issue of potential sanctions to be imposed on Serbia or Kosovo (see EUROPE 13202/25) is not on the agenda for this EU Council ministers’ meeting, but will be addressed by the heads of state or government at the European Council meeting in Brussels on 29 and 30 June.
Tunisia. The ministers will hold talks on the political crisis in Tunisia, following several visits by European political leaders, with a view to renewing dialogue with the Tunisian authorities. The aim is to take stock of the situation in this neighbouring country on Monday, before the European Council takes up the issue at the end of next week.
At the beginning of June in Tunis, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, proposed to the Tunisian President, Kaïs Saïed, that they agree to a comprehensive partnership with Tunis, including macro-financial aid and the modernisation of trade in exchange for firmer measures to combat illegal immigration into the EU (see EUROPE 13199/15).
“We are working on a Memorandum of Understanding and we hope that it will be approved before the European Council”, said a European diplomatic source, stressing the importance for Tunisia of reaching a parallel agreement with the IMF.
Iran. The Council of the EU will adopt a ninth package of sanctions targeting Iranian authorities responsible for human rights violations.
Latin America and the Caribbean. The ministers will have the opportunity to react to the European External Action Service’s proposal for a new agenda for relations between the EU and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (see EUROPE 13196/15) ahead of the EU/CELAC summit to be held on 17 and 18 July in Brussels.
The aim of the discussion is to find common ground on the summit’s priorities, such as the reaffirmation of fundamental values in the light of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and the fight against climate change. According to this diplomat, the Europeans are waiting for their Latin American and Caribbean partners to react to a draft declaration they have sent them.
The deepening of economic cooperation through the conclusion of bilateral agreements on raw materials and free trade agreements is an important issue for the future of relations between the two regions.
Caucasus. The EU ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council will also take stock of efforts to normalise relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the meeting between the parties at the beginning of June in the margins of the European Political Community summit in Moldova. The EU is working hard to convince the Azerbaijani authorities of the need to close the checkpoint at the Lachin corridor.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, will meet the Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev, and the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, in Brussels on 21 July.
EU Digital Diplomacy. Finally, the ministers will be invited to debate the issue of Digital Diplomacy, before adopting the EU Council’s conclusions on the subject. “It is clear that digital technologies have become decisive factors in the global balance of power. A number of digital partnerships have been launched, for example with Japan, South Korea and Singapore. It is about shaping or defining the future of the global digital architecture, defining standards and improving resistance to cyber attacks”, summed up one EU diplomat.
The European Council agreed on a comprehensive EU approach in July 2022. In particular, this approach should lead the EU to strengthen its network of alliances and invest more in digital infrastructures, so that Digital Diplomacy becomes an integral part of the EU’s external action.
To see the EU Council’s conclusions on Digital Diplomacy: https://aeur.eu/f/7om (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion, Thomas Mangin & Aminata Niang)