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Two meetings in Brussels: EU and Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers to discuss security in Europe, Africa and the Indo-Pacific
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels © Photothek Media Lab
On 20 and 21 November, the EU Foreign Ministers will be coming together for two meetings in Brussels – the Foreign Affairs Council and a meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the Indo-Pacific. Find out more here.
On 20 and 21 November, the EU Foreign Ministers are gathering in Brussels for two meetings. The Foreign Affairs Council will focus on support for Ukraine and the situation in the Sahel and the Sudan. The meeting between the EU and Indo-Pacific Foreign Ministers, the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, is the key platform for cooperation between the EU and the states of the Indo-Pacific. This is closely linked to the EU’s partnership with ASEAN, the region’s only association of states. We want to further develop this partnership together.
We will continue to support Ukraine
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been raging unabated for almost four years now. The European Union is currently working on the 20th package of sanctions, thus keeping up the economic pressure on Moscow. The Foreign Affairs Council will focus on the Russian shadow fleet. Russia’s President Putin has been able to continue financing his war of aggression by circumventing the sanctions through the shadow fleet. The aim is to take even tougher and more targeted measures to stop that. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministers will look at how to support Ukraine’s endeavours to defend itself – particularly against the background of another challenging winter of war.
The situation in the Middle East
Key options on how to set a new course for Gaza’s long-term future will be discussed. The EU Foreign Ministers will talk about how the EU missions EUBAM Rafah and EUPOL COPPS can assume more responsibility for security and stability in Gaza in future. Europe is determined to make a major contribution towards the implementation of the 20-point plan.
EU Foreign Ministers to focus on security in Africa
A new EU strategy on the Sahel, specially developed by EU Special Representative Cravinho, is on the agenda. The Ministers will discuss political support for this new course – focusing on stability and sustainable development cooperation in the region.
Another key issue is the conflict in the Sudan: in reaction to the recent atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, the Council will adopt sanctions against the deputy leader of RSF and push ahead with drawing up additional sanctions against those responsible for war crimes. Germany is providing another 11 million euro in order to protect the suffering civilian population from hunger and thirst – a demonstration of European solidarity in times of great humanitarian hardship.
Our partners from the Indo-Pacific in Brussels
Europe and the states of the Indo-Pacific are facing the same diverse geopolitical challenges. The meeting marks an important step towards even closer cooperation. It will focus on maritime security, economic diversification – in particular, in the case of strategic raw materials such as rare earths – and the institutional partnership between the EU and ASEAN, which we want to further intensify.
Europe sees the states of the Indo-Pacific as natural partners in the efforts to protect the international order, which is based on international law and cooperation on an equal footing. After all, security, prosperity and freedom in Europe are directly connected to developments in the Indo-Pacific.
Foreign Minister Wadephul has stressed the importance of this cooperation:
The fact that I was in the region several times during the first few months after I took up office shows how important close cooperation with trusted partners is to us. In addition to security, we particularly want to strengthen our economic relations and trade. This means more than gaining access to new markets or production sites. We are consciously seeking to reduce our dependencies by broadening our supply chains, for example as regards critical raw materials. We want to cooperate more closely in key technological fields and to remain an attractive continent for skilled immigration. On all these issues, we have a lot to offer each other as drivers of innovation.