Jean Asselborn Advocates Continued Support for Crimea, Calls for Inclusive Peace Process in Afghanistan during NATO Meeting

Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn attended the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting on 3-4 April 2019 in Washington.

On the second day of his visit, Minister Asselborn participated in the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The ministerial meeting, chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance, of which Luxembourg was one of the twelve founding states. The first session of the meeting was devoted to the general state of relations with Russia, with particular emphasis on two main issues: the situation after Russia's violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which led to the US' decision to withdraw, and the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea, five years after the illegal annexation of Crimea and recent incidents near the Kerch Strait.

In this regard, Minister Asselborn stressed the importance of "not slackening in our support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its recognised international borders and the full implementation of the Minsk agreements". He also reiterated his support for partners bordering the Black Sea, Ukraine and Georgia. In this context, the Minister announced contributions of €100,000 for Georgia for the implementation of a secure communication system and €100,000 for Ukraine for a project for journalists in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine platform to combat hybrid threats. In addition, Luxembourg will allocate €200,000 euros to Ukraine to complete a nuclear decontamination project in which the Grand Duchy already participated in the past.

Regarding Russia's violations of the INF Treaty, Minister Asselborn expressed support for the US position, adding that "the ball is in Russia's court and it is up to it to return to full compliance with the provisions of the Treaty". He recommended using "the period until 2 August to continue the dialogue with Russia, including in the framework of a NATO-Russia Council before the summer".

The second working session focused on terrorism and emerging strategic security issues. Ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and North Africa and the implications of the ongoing peace process in Afghanistan for NATO's future engagement in that country. This session also assessed NATO's action in the fight against terrorism. In this context, Jean Asselborn stated: "To combat terrorism, we believe it is important to build the capacity of our partners, especially those in the Middle East and North Africa, who face the same challenges as us." He also emphasised "the importance of a truly inclusive peace agreement", including the Afghan government but also women and children. 

Minister Asselborn similarly noted the importance of measuring the impact of China's policies on NATO's security, emphasising the need for an inventory and evaluation for future policy and that "we must not discourage NATO's nascent dialogue with China, which helps to better assess China's intentions and explore opportunities for cooperation."

NATO Foreign Ministers concluded with a working lunch at which they discussed burden sharing within the Atlantic Alliance. In this context, Minister Asselborn mentioned the progress made as a result of the increased commitment of the European Allies. He stressed that, "since 2014, the Luxembourg defence budget has increased by more than 50% with investments in many capacity projects, often multilateral and for the benefit of the Alliance".

On the occasion of his trip to Washington, Minister Asselborn also had bilateral interviews on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting. These included meetings with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani and Ron Johnson, Senator of the State of Wisconsin, Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and regional cooperation in security matters.

On 3 April, prior to the ministerial meeting, Jean Asselborn, together with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders, lay a wreath at the Battle of the Bulge monument at the Arlington National Cemetery. This act paid tribute to the US soldiers who fell during the decisive battle of the Second World War, which will commemorate its 75th anniversary this December.