Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs;
Credit: MAE
On Friday 29 May 2026, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Xavier Bettel, recently travelled to Limassol (Cyprus) to take part in the informal “Gymnich” meeting of the European Union Foreign Ministers.
According to the ministry, on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May 2026, Minister Bettel attended the first working session, where EU Foreign Ministers were joined by the Foreign Ministers of India, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The discussion focused mainly on the war in Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in the Middle East.
The ministers then held a discussion on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, focusing primarily on how to safeguard the EU’s fundamental interests vis-à-vis Russia, as well as on ways for the EU to increase pressure on Russia in order to bring an end to its war of aggression against Ukraine.
The ministers also held a working dinner in the presence of the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha.
