Gymnich participants;
Credit: MAEE
On 29 and 30 August 2019, the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs, including Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, met in Helsinki in Finland for their informal "Gymnich" meeting.
The Gymnich meeting kicked off with a joint lunch with EU Defence Ministers during which the ministers had an in-depth debate on hybrid threats.
The Foreign Affairs Ministers then turned their attention to the situation in the Gulf, in the context of current tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The discussion focused on the role that the EU could play in contributing to a de-escalation of the situation and the preservation of freedom of navigation in the Strait.
Calling all the actors concerned for restraint, Minister Asselborn stressed that "a confrontation in the Gulf would be a serious threat to the peace and security of the entire region. We hope that reason will prevail".
The following day, the ministers had a discussion on Europe and the Arctic before working in a joint working session with partner countries in the Western Balkans to discuss regional cooperation.
The ministers also exchanged views on the EU-Mercosur agreement. Reiterating that the Paris agreements must be respected, Minister Asselborn argued that "this agreement is a historic opportunity to come together and build a true community of values. But for us to move forward, the fight against climate change must be an integral part of the agreement". He added: "The current rate of deforestation goes against the spirit of the Paris Agreement".
With regard to the discussion on human rights, which unfolded in the presence of several human rights defenders, Jean Asselborn similarly denounced worldwide violations of human rights. He recalled the importance that Luxembourg attaches to the work of human rights defenders, particularly females.
Luxembourg, a candidate for a term on the Human Rights Council for the years 2022-2024, has confirmed that it will continue to pay attention to the situation of human rights defenders around the world. This commitment was also reflected in the first National Action Plan "Women and Peace and Security 2018-2023" for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
