Brussels, 11/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 14-15 May will focus on a number of issues of concern to foreign, defence and development ministers (see related articles on development questions). Several other meetings will take place on the fringes of the Council, like a troika meeting on Monday afternoon between EU and South African foreign, defence and environment ministers. On Tuesday, the EU will meet a delegation from the African Union (AU) led by the Ghanaian foreign minister, and the 27th meeting of the Council of the European Economic Area (EEA) will be held among the EU27 and three of the four EFTA members, namely Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
On Monday, the EU27 foreign ministers will start by discussing general affairs issues, focussing entirely on preparing for the European Council of 21-22 June. The summit conclusions will take four main strands - the future treaty on EU reform; justice and home affairs (police cooperation, anti-terrorism, migration policy and judicial cooperation); economic and social issues (climate change, completing the common market and external economic relations); and foreign relations (European Neighbourhood Policy and central Asia).
At a joint meeting with defence ministers, the foreign ministers will look at civilian CFSP missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo and the new operation to support reform of the police service in the Democratic Republic of Congo (see related article).
Meeting later solely among foreign ministers, new conclusions will be adopted on Somalia, despite the lack of progress in the field. A diplomat ironically suggested it was more a question of continuity of foreign policy that would be expressed, noting that due to lack of progress in the field, no discussions were expected on Sudan, which had previously been included on the agenda. The troika meeting with the AU will discuss Sudan, however.
Preparing for the Russian summit. Preparations will focus on the launch of talks over a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement but as this option fades away, the Samara summit may well be watered down. Several issues remain on the agenda, however, like implementing the four common areas, regional and international issues. EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou has received a letter from Russian farm minister Alexei Gordeyev repeating the line taken at their previous meeting in Cyprus (see EUROPE 9412), but the letter is not expected to resolve the question of the Russian embargo on Polish meat exports. Close diplomatic sources say they are 'pretty pessimistic and sceptical' about being able to adopt any negotiating mandate in the near term.
The Council will then re-assess EU sanctions on Uzbekistan, amending the November 2006 common position (see EUROPE 9305) that extended the arms embargo for a year and the visa ban for six months. After the meeting of EU ambassadors, two issues remain to be settled by the ministers, namely the duration of the new common position (possibly for six months with a progress report after three months) and the number of people likely to be removed from the visa ban, explained a European diplomat. Some member states see the holding of a second meeting of experts in April on the bloodbath in Andijan in May 2005 as signalling openness among the Uzbek authorities, and want four names removed from the list. Others see this as a tactical manoeuvre by the Uzbeks and want the twelve names on the visa ban to remain on the list. The Council will in any case adopt conclusions expressing concern at the human rights situation in the country.
Ministers will also discuss the situation in Iran following a meeting between Javier Solana and Ali Larijani on 25 April 2007 (see EUROPE 9416), and the Middle East peace process (an informal meeting is foreseen on the fringes of the Council with Arab League foreign ministers). Other conclusions are expected to be published on the Black Sea region and on Iraq.
Over lunch, the foreign ministers will discuss the future EU Treaty, the international moratorium on the death penalty and the situation in the Western Balkans. Following the tenth South-East European Cooperation Process summit, organised in Zagreb (Croatia) on 10-11 May, the Council's conclusions will focus on regional cooperation. Following recent developments in Belgrade, they may decide to adopt general conclusion on Serbia because the deadline set by the Serb constitution for the formation of a new government runs out on 14 May (see related article on page 8). (ab)