Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts, Nikos Dendias and Nikos Christodoulides; Credit: MAEE

On Monday 7 December 2020, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the Benelux Committee of Ministers in Brussels.

Foreign Affairs Council

The Foreign Affairs Council began its session with topical issues, which enabled Minister Jean Asselborn and his European counterparts to discuss the most recent international developments. The ministers took stock of the situation in Georgia and Venezuela, in light of the legislative elections held in these two countries. Following the ministers' discussion, High Representative Josep Borrell issued a statement on behalf of the EU to stress that, in view of the conditions under which these elections were held, the results of the legislative elections of 6 December in Venezuela cannot be considered to reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.

The ministers also exchanged views on Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, a subject which will also be on the agenda of this week's European Council. Minister Jean Asselborn expressed Luxembourg's solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and his hope that concrete measures can soon be taken.

Ahead of the celebration of Human Rights Day by the international community on 10 December, the foreign ministers took stock of the EU's commitment to human rights in the world. They adopted a new sanctions regime allowing the adoption of restrictive measures in response to serious human rights violations.

Minister Jean Asselborn commented: "I welcome the adoption of this horizontal and global sanctions mechanism which will allow us to take targeted restrictive measures to better respond to violations and abuses of human rights. Human rights are one of the principles which should guide the European Union's external action and this new regime expands our toolbox in the context of our common external action by allowing us to act everywhere around the world, targeting the most serious violations and abuses”. He thanked the Netherlands for having initiated the idea of ​​this sanctions regime, adding that its adoption is also a warning to those who put human rights defenders in prison.

The ministers then had an in-depth discussion on relations between the EU and the US, with the objective of identifying the priorities for a renewed transatlantic partnership with the new US administration. Like his colleagues, Minister Jean Asselborn welcomed the prospect of seeing the EU and the US soon in a position to act together again to strengthen multilateralism. He expressed hope that the future administration of Joe Biden would withdraw as soon as possible the presidential decree through which the US imposed sanctions (in September) against the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, and a member of her office.

During the working lunch that concluded this meeting, the ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on strategic autonomy and on ways to strengthen the resilience of the EU, particularly by drawing lessons from the shortcomings revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Jean Asselborn signed a bilateral security agreement with his Lithuanian counterpart, Minister Linas Linkevičius.

Benelux Committee of Ministers

Minister Jean Asselborn joined the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Stef Blok, and Belgium's Minister of the Middle Class, SMEs, Self-employed, Agriculture, Social Integration and Urban Policy, David Clarinval, as well as the Benelux College of Secretaries General, for this meeting, which closed the Dutch Presidency.

The three ministers took stock of the results obtained in 2020, as well as looking forward to the annual plan for 2021. The latter makes it possible to concretise structural cooperation at the Benelux level by setting the projects that materialise this cooperation.

The three ministers also approved the joint work programme for the period 2021-24, which defines the main objectives of cooperation between the three Benelux countries every four years. Focussing mainly on economic union, sustainable development and cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs, the multiannual plan approved on Monday constitutes the fourth plan since the treaty establishing the Benelux Union in 2008.

The meeting was also an opportunity for the ministers to discuss several issues related to cooperation between the Benelux countries, especially in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.