Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, has reported a broad consensus with Slovak authorities regarding the upcoming Solvakian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Minister Asselborn paid a working visit to Bratislava on Thursday 9 June 2016, where he met with his Slovakian counterpart, Miroslav Lajčák; Minister of the Interior, Robert Kaliňák; and Deputy Prime Minister for Investments, Peter Pellegrini. He also met with President of the Slovak Parliament, Andrej Danko, Vice President Martin Glváč and members of different parliamentary committees, among them the Committee for European Affairs.
The Minister's visit took place within the context of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU, due to begin on 1 July 2016. The discussions addressed the priorities of the incoming Presidency to provide an overview of major issues in European politics, with Minister Asselborn being largely in agreement with his Slovakian interlocutors on most of the key issues on which the EU must move forward in the coming months. Discussions also provided an opportunity to share experiences of the Luxembourg Presidency, which was held in the second half of 2015.
The progress of the implementation of the EU-Turkey declaration of 18 March 2016 was also on the agenda, as well as the management of the migration crisis in general. The ministers stressed the importance of the effective reinforcement of EU external border control and the importance of solidarity to preserve the benefits of the Schengen area.
Following the talks, Minister Asselborn said he was confident about the willingness of the future Slovak presidency to play a leading role in strengthening the internal cohesion of the EU and to revitalise joint action in the face of the migration crisis.
Photos by MAEE (Bottom L-R): Robert Kaliňák; Jean Asselborn; Miroslav Lajčák
