Jean Asselborn participared in the 'Foreign Affairs' Council of the EU held on Monday 18 April 2016 as Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg.
The Council first discussed the external dimension of migration, before exploring the issue in the presence of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, with whom Minister Asselborn also held a bilateral meeting. The Council took stock of the EU's responses in this field, particularly regarding the implementation of the agreement between the Union and Turkey.
The Council then discussed the EU's relations with its Eastern European partners, focusing on ways to advance the Eastern Partnership (EaP), before a ministerial meeting scheduled for May 2016.
The ministers present also discussed Libya, by speaking by videoconference with the Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj. Whilst indentifying concrete economic, political or security projects of support to the Libyan government, the ministers stated their full support to Fayez al-Sarraj.
On the sidelines of the EU-Tunisia Association Council which preceded the 'Foreign Affairs' Council, Minister Asselborn had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, Khemaies Jhinaoui. The meeting focused on bilateral relations and on the internal situation in Tunisia. Minister Asselborn took stock with his Tunisian counterpart on ways to support the country in its efforts to strenghen cooperation and relations between the Grand Duchy and Tunisia.
Photos by Thomas Barbancey
