Brussels, 31/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - Together with Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner and under the chairmanship of Erkki Tuomioja, EU foreign ministers are to meet in Lappeenranta on 1 and 2 September for an informal Gymnich-type meeting. The main items on the agenda are:
Middle East: During lunch on Friday, minsters will assess the situation from the point of view of Israel/Lebanon (see related article) and Israel/Palestine relations. They will mainly seek to initiate reflection on the role of the EU and its working methods in the Middle East. During the afternoon, ministers will discuss the overall peace process and discuss the following questions: Should the peace process and the roadmap be brought up to date? Who are the EU's partners in the region and how can the EU work better with them? - Iran: On Saturday, ministers will tackle the nuclear issue, with an analysis from Javier Solana. They will look at how to work on the follow-up to be given to Security Council Resolution 1696, in the knowledge that Tehran did not suspend its uranium enrichment and processing activities on 31 August, as stipulated by the Security Council, which may now envisage sanctions. Just before the buffer date, diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, according to AFP, that Tehran began a new uranium enrichment phase on 30 August by introducing small quantities of gaseous uranium hexafluor fuel into the centrifugal system. Ministers will also be discussing how appropriate it is to resume dialogue with Tehran despite its refusal to come into line with the demands of the Security Council and the IAEA. In a letter addressed to Javier Solana on 22 August giving the first elements of response to the “5 + 1” offer of cooperation (EU3 - France/UK, USA, Russia and China, as well as Germany), Tehran had expressed its readiness to engage in “serious negotiations”. Receiving the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Saeed Jalili, in Helsinki on Tuesday, Mr Tuomioja said that the EU was not closing the door to discussion (EUROPE 9254). - Russia: On Saturday afternoon, ministers will discuss the internal situation in Russia and Moscow's foreign policy. They will take stock of developments in the strategic partnership with Russia and tackle with Ms Ferrero-Waldner the question of the legal form to be given to the future cooperation framework with a view to the summit in Helsinki on 24 November.