Today, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels to meet his colleagues and exchange views on Ukraine, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Iran nuclear deal and the crisis in Syria.
During the discussion on Ukraine, Mikser emphasised the security dimension. “On the fourth anniversary of Crimea annexation, the security situation in eastern Ukraine has still not improved. The EU must continue to support Ukraine,” emphasised Mikser. “The sanctions must remain in place as long as the Minsk agreements have not been fully implemented,” he added. The Foreign Minister noted that it is extremely important to guarantee international organisations access to the conflict zone.
The EU foreign ministers stressed that they expect Ukraine to continue with reforms. “We commend Ukraine for steps already taken and expect reforms, including the establishment of an anti-corruption court, to continue,” Mikser said. “Ukraine will have an excellent opportunity to present the progress made during the Ukraine Reform Conference taking place in Copenhagen in June,” he added. “We must also bear in mind that Ukraine is under the daily pressure of Russian misinformation, which will only grow ahead of the Ukrainian elections. Therefore, strategic communication is particularly important,” Mikser noted.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini also gave an overview of her 11-12 March visit to Kyiv. Prior to the Foreign Affairs Council, an informal breakfast meeting with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, also took place.
Speaking about the crisis in Syria, the foreign ministers emphasised the importance of political solution, but expressed concern over the military escalation in Syria. The meeting was also attended by Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria.
The foreign ministers had an informal lunch with the South Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha, who gave an overview of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The EU foreign ministers agreed that the international community must remain unified in steps it takes and this also includes the full implementation of sanctions by all countries.
During the discussion on the situation in Iran, the foreign ministers talked about the importance of the Iran nuclear deal and Iran’s role in the region.
Additional information:
Sandra Kamilova
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Communication Department
56675362
[email protected]