Migration and the Middle East were at the heart of discussions at the 'Foreign Affairs' Council of the European Union, held in Brussels on Monday.
EU Ministers, including Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, used the opportunity of the Council to demonstrate solidarity with the French government and people following the attacks on Paris on Friday which killed at least 129 people.
After an update on the recent elections in Myanmar, won by a landslide by National League for Democracy (NLD) party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Ministers examined the state of the peace process in the Middle East. The ministers present discussed possible measures to restore confidence between the two parties, with Minister Asselborn presenting his recent trip to Palestine and the situation on the ground.
"It is no longer time for repeated steps which lead to nothing," the Minister commented. "We must promote a new negotiating format, expand the circle by involving more European and Arab countries, to reactivate the role of the Security Council and set a reasonable deadline for the conclusion of negotiations".
The Council also discussed migration, following up on the Valletta summit. Minister Asselborn, who attended the summit in Malta as President of the 'Justice and Home Affairs' Council along with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, informed the Council of the results. He stressed that "a constructive process has been launched, which we can congratulate ourselves for because this issue will only become more important for our relations in the years to come".
The situation in Syria was also at the forefront of talks, with ministers seeking to identify the various means available to the EU in helping to provide an end to the conflict and violence, maintaining the territorial integrity of the country, rapidly implementing a political transition reflective of the will of the Syrian people, and ending Daech's influence on the region.
Speaking on the situation in Libya and the search for a political solution thereto, the Luxembourg Foreign Minister emphasised that "all parties must engage in political dialogue and support the agreement that will move the political transition process forward through the formation of a government of national unity". He additionally insisted that "the Tripoli camp has to sign the peace agreement and accept the proposal of a government of national unity".
Jean Asselborn is joining Prime Minister Bettel in Brussels today to participate in the TTIP conference on Social Partners and chair the 'General Affairs' Council (GAC) of the European Union.
Photo by MAEE/Nicolas Gierten (L-R: Belgian Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders; Italian Foreign Minister, Paolo Gentiloni; Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn; High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini)
