(L-R) Luc Frieden, Luxembourg's Prime Minister; Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence; Credit: MAE

From Friday 14 to Sunday 16 February 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, took part in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany.

As reported by Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence, during these three days, Minister Backes held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Ukraine, Estonia, Ireland and Armenia, as well as meetings with Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, and the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna.

Together with the Women Political Leaders organisation, Minister Backes organised a meeting with women political leaders and participated in the "Women's Breakfast", including with Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

The MSC allowed Minister Backes to exchange with colleagues from around the world on subjects such as the war in Ukraine, European defence and security, and transatlantic relations.

On Sunday 16 February 2025, Minister Backes also participated in the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which was held on the sidelines of the MSC. She stood in for Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, who is currently in the United States.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, was also present at the MSC.