Gymnich Meeting: Minister Asselborn Highlights Need for Open, Frank EU-Africa Dialogue

Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, took part in the informal "Gymnich" meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union (EU) in Prague, the Czech Republic on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 August 2022.

The Gymnich meeting began with an in-depth discussion on EU relations with African countries, six months after the sixth summit between the EU and the African Union (AU). Minister Asselborn emphasised that relations between the EU and Africa remain a very important aspect of the EU's external action.

The discussion on engagement with Africa also took place in the context of the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine. Minister Asselborn informed his counterparts of the exchanges that he had during his recent working visit to Algeria. According to Luxembourg's Foreign Minister, these interactions confirmed that the EU's engagement with African partners must continue to be guided by the principle of open and frank dialogue and that regular visits to the continent are essential to explain the EU's position on the war. He added that the EU would have to assure its African partners of its support in the face of the multitude of crises that certain countries are facing.

The EU Foreign Ministers then discussed the implications of the Russia-Ukraine war, in particular looking at the various measures that are available to the EU to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime. In this context, the ministers decided to suspend the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia and not to recognise passports issued by Russian authorities in the occupied Ukrainian territories.

The meeting was followed by a working lunch with the Foreign Ministers of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which made it possible to address the needs of these countries in the current context, their European prospects as well as as the future of the Eastern Partnership.