Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Credit: MAEE

Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, delivered the traditional declaration on foreign and European policy during the Chamber of Deputies' plenary session, held yesterday in Cercle Cité.

The year 2020 was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions around the world. At the beginning of his speech, Minister Jean Asselborn listed the challenges that the health crisis posed to Luxembourg and its diplomatic activities.

Crisis diplomacy

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister recalled that the work of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs had been strongly impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 crisis. The ministry and all of its agents had to adapt very quickly and practise genuine crisis diplomacy, the primary objective of which was to help Luxembourg nationals living abroad to return to their homes as quickly as possible. This was one of the largest repatriation operations in Luxembourgish history. In cooperation with the logistics unit within the Ministry of Health, the embassies played an essential role in the supply of essential medical equipment.

Minister Jean Asselborn highlighted that Luxembourg had also shown solidarity by welcoming French patients in intensive care units in the Grand Duchy and by delivering protective equipment to its European and international partners.

Consular assistance

The pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to the consular assistance unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the services concerned were quickly able to adapt to allow greater responsiveness to the many requests for assistance. In cooperation with the Luxembourg diplomatic network, the consular assistance unit worked tirelessly to ensure the repatriation of more than 1,000 Luxembourg nationals and residents who were abroad at the time when the pandemic spread across the world.

Minister Jean Asselborn stressed that this crisis had shown the importance of a substantial network of diplomatic and consular missions without which the organisation of the return of Luxembourg nationals and residents would not have been possible. He also emphasised the support and solidarity shown by European partners during the repatriation of Luxembourgers, especially thanking the Benelux and neighbouring countries for their assistance. Luxembourg also participated in European solidarity efforts by organising two repatriation flights from Cape Verde, which made it possible to repatriate many stranded European nationals and residents, following the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Free movement

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister went on to address the closing of borders within the Schengen area, regretting in particular the establishment of controls on the Schengen bridge on the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Schengen Agreements. He noted: "Respect for free movement within the European Union, which is a fundamental right enshrined in the European treaties, has suddenly ceased to be obvious and has become a major issue in our foreign policy".

Minister Jean Asselborn recalled that the ministry had spared no efforts to help Luxembourg's more than 200,000 cross-border workers enter the Grand Duchy unhindered. He also reiterated the importance of free movement in the Greater Region and within the EU, indicating that Luxembourg would continue to commit to ensuring that this type of restriction does not happen again.

EU coordination in the context of the pandemic

The Foreign Minister noted that the resilience of the EU has been severely tested by the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalled the European achievements threatened by the pandemic, the need for open borders and respect of equal rights for all EU citizens. Faced with the reappearance of national reflexes, Luxembourg has from the outset pleaded for more effective coordination at the EU level. Minister Jean Asselborn stressed that if the second wave of the virus was not accompanied by a new closure of the borders, it was partly thanks to Luxembourg's commitment at the European level in favour of respect for free movement.

The minister also discussed the Next Generation EU recovery plan as well as the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021-27, which will be of crucial importance to mitigate the economic impact of the health crisis.

As for the analysis of the epidemiological situation in the various countries, he stressed that Luxembourg attached great importance to the establishment of common criteria at the European level, including in particular the number of tests carried out, and the respect of EU law. He identified the lessons that the EU could draw from this health crisis, noting in particular: the importance of a more effective dialogue with partners in the EU and worldwide in the field of public health; the importance of closer coordination at the EU level; the establishment of a framework enabling Member States to coordinate their solidarity efforts more effectively in times of crisis; and better protection at the European level of the needs of cross-border communities.

Rule of law

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister addressed the issue of the rule of law within the EU, not hiding his concerns over the latest developments in certain EU member states. He stressed that the pandemic cannot be a justification for calling into question or suspending EU values. In this context, Luxembourg declared itself in favour of the establishment of an effective European mechanism making it possible to link European subsidies to respect for the rule of law.

Migration

With regard to migration issues, Minister Jean Asselborn addressed ongoing discussions, referring to the Pact on Migration and Asylum presented by the European Commission. In his role as Minister of Immigration and Asylum, he considered that the Commission's proposals represented an opportunity that should be seized in order to develop a more humane European migration policy. He added that current figures, which have fallen due to the pandemic, should not hide the fact that the sources of the problem persist. He thus insisted on the need to finally find a fairer system, particularly to relieve Member States at the EU's external borders, which have been facing strong migratory pressure for years.

He assured that Luxembourg would continue to support the establishment of a compulsory solidarity mechanism, as opposed to “à la carte" or "one-way" solidarity. He also recalled that the Grand Duchy actively contributes to solidarity efforts, in particular by participating in operations for the relocation and resettlement of refugees.

EU-UK relations

Minister Jean Asselborn reiterated that Luxembourg remained committed to the Withdrawal Agreement, which remained the best and only way to ensure peace in Ireland while protecting the internal market. Despite difficult negotiations, he expressed the hope that a no-deal scenario could be avoided. He added that the UK remained an important partner of Luxembourg, particularly in the service and financial sectors.

Nevertheless, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister stressed that the UK's departure from the internal market and the Customs Union on 31 December 2020 would lead to significant changes. He assured that Luxembourg, like its European partners, has taken measures to raise awareness among all players concerned and guarantee the rights of the citizens concerned in the UK and Luxembourg.

Climate change

Minister Jean Asselborn recalled that climate change remained one of the main global challenges and that the EU had set itself the objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest. Within the European Council, Luxembourg has pushed for ambitious climate objectives in order to be able to meet the objectives set in the Paris climate agreement. He maintained that the MFF 2021-27 and the Next Generation EU should make it possible both to revive the economy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to deal with the climate crisis.

Future of Europe

The Foreign Minister felt that the debate on the future of the EU should be conducted as broadly as possible and that it was necessary to find the best way to proceed under the specific conditions linked to COVID- 19.

EU enlargement

Minister Jean Asselborn recalled that the countries of the Western Balkans, in particular Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, had a concrete prospect of joining the EU. He noted that respect for the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption were fundamental criteria for membership and stressed that these reforms should determine the speed with which countries were advancing on the path to membership. He expressed his hope that accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania could soon be launched.

Turkey

The minister regretted the fact that Turkey was moving further away from the EU politically. Recent measures taken in the area of ​​the rule of law and respect for human rights in violation of the Copenhagen criteria have led to the suspension of the accession process. At this stage, Minister Jean Asselborn said he could not distinguish any positive signs from Turkey in favour of a more constructive relationship.

He also noted that tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus were very worrying and expressed his full support for the ongoing mediation efforts. The minister recalled that Luxembourg remained in solidarity with Cyprus and with Greece with regard to respect for their sovereignty and their sovereign rights.

Commercial policy

Minister Jean Asselborn said the COVID-19 pandemic had demonstrated weaknesses in logistics and supply chains. Although Luxembourg has always been able to ensure the presence of essential products for itself and for its neighbours, the questions of restructuring the European economy and its competitiveness were becoming pressing, especially in light of global shocks. Strategic sectors, such as the steel industry, remained essential for Europe. He added that Luxembourg is committed to a more balanced and transparent trade policy.

The Foreign Minister welcomed the fact that the EU's negotiation mandates with third countries were now public and that negotiations were more transparent.

He also recalled that the Luxembourg government adopted last December a new national action plan for businesses and human rights for the years 2020-22.

Headquarters policy

Minister Jean Asselborn expressed Luxembourg's pride in being one of the historic headquarters of the EU and reiterated the government's commitment to work to offer them the best living and working conditions in Luxembourg. More than 14,000 European officials and agents work in Luxembourg, contributing to the economic, social and cultural wealth of the country. 

The Foreign Minister indicated that Luxembourg would continue to insist on the full implementation of the Asselborn-Georgieva Agreement of December 2015 which provides for the strengthening of the presence of the European Commission in Luxembourg, particularly in the legal, financial and digital fields. Consequently, Minister Jean Asselborn expressed his disappointed with the Commission's intention to transfer the activities of the Executive Agency for Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food (CHAFEA) to Brussels, without prior consultation with the Luxembourg government. 

On the other hand, he welcomed the fact that two new European agencies, the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the European Joint Undertaking for High Performance Computing (EuroHPC), have been set up in Luxembourg. He also informed MPs that Luxembourg has just submitted its application to host the headquarters of the future European Cybersecurity Competence Centre.

UN, multilateralism and human rights

Minister Jean Asselborn highlighted that as the United Nations celebrated its 75th anniversary, the Grand Duchy remained fully committed to multilateralism, as demonstrated by its applications to sit as an elected member on the Security Council (2031-32) and the Human Rights Council (2022-24). He added that the defence of human rights and a feminist foreign policy continued to be an integral part of Luxembourg's foreign policy, based on support for the rule of law, climate action, gender equality and the protection of the rights of children and the most vulnerable populations.

Eastern neighbourhood

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn condemned the human rights violations in Belarus following the falsified elections of 9 August and expressed his support for all political efforts paving the way for free and fair elections reflecting the will of the people of Belarus. Regarding the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, he expressed concern over reports of the use of cluster munitions and attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as presence of mercenaries from Syria. Minister Jean Asselborn lamented that Turkey has fuelled the conflict. He said he hoped the Russian-facilitated ceasefire agreement would end hostilities. He also pointed out that Luxembourg is committed at the humanitarian level in favour of the affected populations in the region and encouraged efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Southern neighbourhood

As relations with Morocco and Tunisia continue to develop in a positive manner, Minister Jean Asselborn expressed concern at the situation in Libya, where progress in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement is slow and compliance with the arms embargo is not guaranteed. He recalled that the stability of the southern neighbourhood was closely linked to the situation in the Sahel, adding that Luxembourg maintains its long-standing commitment alongside its partners in the region according to a so-called "3D" approach combining the tools of diplomacy, defence and development cooperation, despite the continued deterioration of the security situation on the ground.

Middle East

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister expressed concerns over the dramatic situation in Syria and Yemen. He recalled that, in addition to its substantial commitment in the field of humanitarian aid, Luxembourg supports the efforts underway under the aegis of the UN aimed at finding a political solution to these conflicts and actively supports initiatives in favour of the prosecution of the perpetrators of human rights violations in these conflicts.

He added that Luxembourg also remains committed to the nuclear deal with Iran, without however turning a blind eye to the human rights violations committed there and its destabilising role in the region.

Minister Jean Asselborn also stated that the Grand Duchy welcomes any attempt to bring Israel and the Arab countries closer together. The recent agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are positive developments for the populations concerned, but they have failed to improve relations between Israelis and Palestinians overall. While the peace process in the Middle East has stalled, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister considered the change of administration in the United States to be a ray of hope.

US

Minister Jean Asselborn underlined the importance of the transatlantic partnership for Luxembourg, particularly within the framework of NATO and economically. Despite general difficulties and those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conduct of the US presidential elections and the high turnout have demonstrated the resilience of the American democratic system, according to the minister. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister expressed confidence that the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would make it possible to revitalise the transatlantic partnership and to recreate a relationship of trust between Europe and the US. He expected this to facilitate cooperation on matters of common interest, including trade, climate change, security and disarmament. At the bilateral level, the already very close relations with the US and Canada will continue to be reinforced. Luxembourg also continues to develop good relations with its partners in Latin America, the latest example of which is the accreditation of the Luxembourg Embassy in Brasilia in Santiago de Chile.

Asia

The Foreign Minister noted that, thanks to its diplomatic network, Luxembourg is well positioned to further develop its relations with Asia, whose importance will continue to grow in the decades to come. Minister Jean Asselborn noted the complexity of relations with China, which is a leading partner but also a competitor for the EU. Relations with Japan have also continued to develop, as have relations with India, whose importance for the EU and Luxembourg continues to grow. The minister also highlighted efforts to strengthen relations with the ASEAN countries, in particular by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the free trade agreements concluded with Singapore and Vietnam.

Africa

Recalling the importance of Africa for the EU and Luxembourg, Minister Jean Asselborn praised the efforts of the EU and its African partners to modernise their partnership and adapt it to new realities. Through its diplomatic network, Luxembourg continues to diversify its relations with the African continent, which are also developing economically. The minister recalled that the country's cooperation with its African partners obviously encompassed democratic values, respect for human rights and inclusive governance.

Conclusion

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister concluded the annual declaration on foreign and European policy by recalling that Luxembourg's international commitment is also based on lessons learned from the past. The year 2020 may be a year of crisis, but it is also a year of commemoration: 2020 thus marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg and that of the signing in San Francisco of the Charter which created the UN, as well as the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, when Luxembourg assumed the Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) .

“Faced with the vulnerabilities that characterise our time, it is our duty, as Luxembourgers and Europeans, not to remain indifferent but to defend everywhere and always the interests of our country and its citizens, as well as the values ​​of democracy, a rules-based world order, as well as peaceful coexistence and social and climate justice”, concluded Minister Jean Asselborn.