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.