L-R: Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Emine Dzhaparova, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Credit: MAEE

On Friday 3 June 2022, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Emine Dzhaparova, met with Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, during the former's official visit to the Grand Duchy this week.

During the exchange, Minister Asselborn first expressed Luxembourg's full support for Ukraine in the face of the military aggression perpetrated by Russia. In this context, the adoption by the European Council of a sixth sanctions package against Russia, providing for a gradual embargo on Russian oil by the end of 2022, was welcomed by the both sides, although they regretted Hungary's stance on removing the head of the Russian Orthodox Church from the personal sanctions list.

Faced with the abuses committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister also assured his Ukrainian counterpart of the Grand Duchy's support for international justice and the bringing to justice of the perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law. Deputy Minister Dzhaparova also raised the possibility of creating an ad-hoc court to try the crime of aggression.

Minister Asselborn recalled that the European Union (EU) released four tranches of €500 million through the European Peace Facility (EPF) on 28 February, 23 March, 13 April and 23 May 2022, bringing total aid through this instrument to Ukraine to €2 billion to date.

Minister Asselborn and Deputy Minister Dzhaparova also took stock of the reception in Luxembourg of people who fled the war in Ukraine. In this context, Minister Asselborn confirmed that Luxembourg has received 5,650 people from Ukraine, of whom almost 4,000 have received temporary protection status. The head of Luxembourg's diplomacy underlined that the Grand Duchy will continue to show solidarity with people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Minister Asselborn and Deputy Minister Dzhaparova then had the opportunity to discuss the consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine on global food and energy security.

They also took stock of Ukraine's European aspirations, pending the European Commission's opinion on Ukraine's application for EU membership.