In Luxembourg, the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, attended the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council whereby the recent developments concerning the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s relations with China were discussed.
Discussions were also held on several current affairs issues, including recent events in Iran, the escalation of violence in Ethiopia, and preparations for COP 27, to be held in Egypt next month. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba joined the Foreign Affairs Council via video link from Kiev.
On the war in Ukraine, Dr Borg recalled the importance of EU unity. He reiterated Malta’s call that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop, and that international humanitarian law must be upheld. The ministers stressed the importance of accountability and those crimes should be investigated.
Minister Borg addressed the issue of disinformation activities in third countries, stressing the need to mitigate these activities. He added that the challenges in the Mediterranean region and North Africa, as well as the Global South more generally, should not be ignored, as such a vacuum could lead to instability in the Mediterranean.
The 6th tranche of assistance to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility as well as the launch of a training mission for Ukrainian armed forces were agreed to by the Council.
The COP27 meeting, scheduled for the coming weeks, was also on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs meeting. Minister Borg stated that Malta believes that climate change needs to be addressed as it could have severe repercussions for international security. He added that Malta will prioritise climate change as it takes on the role of an elected member of the UN Security Council.
On the EU’s relations with China, Minister Borg welcomed the strategic discussion and emphasised the importance of continuing with the multifaceted dialogue between the EU and China on matters of convergence.
In the margins of the Council, Minister Borg also held bilateral meetings with the Irish Foreign Minister and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, the Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, and the Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto.
Photo (MFET)
