French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, today invoked the mutual assistance clause of the Lisbon Treaty, calling on Member States to assist France by all means possible following the series of attacks which devastated the capital last Friday.
At the 'Foreign Affairs' Council of the EU in Defense Training, held today in Brussels, the Defence Minister invoked Article 42(7) of the Lisbon Treaty which states that in the event of armed aggression on the territory of one of the Member States, the other "Member States must give it aid and assistance by all means in their power".
During the first working session the European Commission presented its new defence initiatives, with Ministers welcoming the enhanced role of the Commission in this regard and stressing the importance of innovation, SMEs and a strong industry for the autonomy of European defence.
In the presence of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the Council then called for increased EU support for the building of security capacity in third countries, cited as an essential tool for conflict prevention and support to third countries. Luxembourg, which nationally funds projects supporting the capabilities of the armed forces in Mali and Central African Republic, supported the creation of a specific EU instrument in support of third countries' security forces.
Ministers then reviewed the EU military operation in progress, reaffirming a hope that the EUNAVFOR MED Sophia operation in the Mediterranean be extended to Libyan territorial waters. The Council also discussed the extension of the EU mission in the Central African Republic (Eumam).
The ministers also met for the Director of the European Defence Agency Committee, which was held on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council Defence meeting. Luxembourg backed the Agency's three-year work programme and the budget increase proposal for 2016. In the absence of agreement on the increase, Luxembourg has announced its willingness to make a voluntary bilateral contribution whilst appealing to other participating Member States to do the same.
"In addition to individual or coalition military action against Daech, responsible for these attacks, the European Union must continue to work together towards a political solution, and we must continue to support the strengthening of security systems of friendly countries in the region," stated Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of Luxembourg, Étienne Schneider, on behalf of the Presidency. "The Luxembourg Presidency and Luxembourg will be alongside our French neighbours and friends to provide them with assistance and solidarity through this national hardship. We must not fall into Daech's trap which aims to make us alienate Muslims in our societies".
Photo by Wikimedia Commons/Pymouss (French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian)
