The EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet on Monday in Brussels, with the situation in Ukraine as the main topic of discussion. Foreign Ministry spokesman Dimitris Demetriou, in a Twitter post on Sunday, said Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides had cancelled his planned trip to Brussels because he is in close contact with confirmed cases of coronavirus and will be represented by Permanent Representative Christina Rafti.
As announced, the Foreign Affairs Council will focus on, among other things, the situation in Ukraine following the ongoing Russian invasion as well as EU support measures for the country.[IN ADDITION, THE FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE SITUATION IN THE SAHEL REGION, WITH A FOCUS ON THE NEXT STEPS IN RELATION TO THE UNION'S ENGAGEMENT IN MALI.
Subsequently, a working lunch will be followed by an exchange of views with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Moldova Nicu Popescu, while the Council will conclude with a joint meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers of the Member States to discuss the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence.
At the end of the Council's work, a special forum on improving compliance with International Humanitarian Law, organised by the French Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, will be held.[ON TUESDAY, 22 MARCH, THE GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL WILL MEET TO DISCUSS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE, THE EUROPEAN SEMESTER AND THE PREPARATION OF THE FORTHCOMING EUROPEAN COUNCIL.
At the same time, Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides is in Brussels, where Defence Ministers will discuss the Strategic Compass document together with EU Foreign Ministers at a joint session of the Foreign Affairs Council.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, "the Defence Ministers will discuss in a joint session with the Foreign Ministers of the Member States the Compass Strategy document that will guide the aspects for Security and Defence in the European Union in the coming years".
The meeting will conclude with a meeting of defence ministers, during which the situation with Russian aggression and ways to support Ukraine, as well as possible scenarios for the evolution of the conflict will be discussed, the statement concludes.
Source: CNA
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