Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, attended the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Antalya, Turkey late last week, to discuss the situations in Afghanistan, Ukraine, as well as NATO-EU cooperation.
On the first day of meetings, countries contributing to the “Resolute Support” mission met to assess the mission’s current status and adopt guidelines for a lasting partnership with Afghanistan. Minister Asselborn expressed his satisfaction at the work accomplished by NATO, in gradually handing over responsibility to Afghan security forces, saying, “It is now necessary that the efforts of the international community focus on the economic and social reconstruction of the country.”
A NATO-Ukraine Commission session followed, which allowed the ministers to survey the general security situation in the ex-Soviet nation and discuss views on the implementation of the Minsk agreement and its prospects. They lauded Ukraine’s progress during this phase of reform, and then discussed the cooperation of the Alliance with the country in general. The Luxembourg Foreign Minister stressed the importance of maintaining a balanced relationship with Russia, and encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to stay the course and continue the reform process and fight against corruption.
The second day was largely devoted to security threats and challenges in the East and South of NATO’s territory, as well as the responses to be taken.
The ministers also met With the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, to debate NATO-EU cooperation.
Before departing the meetings, there was one final session, as the Ministers prepare and look ahead to the summit in Warsaw next year.
Minister Asselborn also kept up bilateral relations with additional meetings – first with Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Cavusoglu and Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ditmir Bushati.
Photo by Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
