Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation & Humanitarian Affairs;
Credit: © SIP / Claude Piscitelli
On Monday 17 November 2025, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, participated in the meeting of the European Union’s (EU) General Affairs Council (GAC) in Brussels, Belgium.
According to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, during the discussion on preparations for the European Council of 18 and 19 December 2025, Minister Bettel stressed the importance of meeting Ukraine’s funding needs and addressed the issue of frozen Russian assets, while recalling the importance of solidarity between Member States.
On the European Commission’s 2026 work programme, Minister Bettel thanked the Commission for the proposal and urged it to put in place joint initiatives to develop a European defence industry. The Luxembourg foreign minister also addressed the Schengen area, stressing the need to achieve a common migration policy with a functioning Dublin system.
Ahead of the GAC meeting, the minister also took part in the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference.
EO
