General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils (20-21 June)

Friday 17th June 2011 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will attend the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 June. I will attend the General Affairs Council on 21 June. Both meetings will be held in Luxembourg.

Foreign Affairs Council (Foreign Ministers)

Sudan

Ministers will focus on Sudan in the run-up to the secession of South Sudan on 9 July. They are likely to discuss the worrying violence in the Abyei and southern Kordofan regions of Sudan and the lack of progress on key issues under the comprehensive peace agreement. Ministers will also have the opportunity to welcome the EU’s comprehensive approach strategy for Sudan, setting out the EU’s approach to supporting the emergence of two viable, peaceful and prosperous states in North and South Sudan.

Western Balkans

We expect Ministers to discuss the ongoing political stalemate in Albania, compounded by the dispute over recent local election results. On a visit to Tirana on 9 June, I outlined the UK’s concerns at the continued impasse to the political leaders, and stressed the need to find consensus-based solutions to put Albania back on its reform path to the EU. The UK has also supported Baroness Ashton’s and Commissioner Fule’s recent joint statement (see link below) that called for a fair and transparent legal process, and for Albania’s leaders to live up to the European aspirations of the Albanian citizens. We are working for conclusions that stress similar concerns.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/122198.pdf

We expect Baroness Ashton to raise two information points: on Bosnia and Herzegovina on the appointment of a new EU Head of Delegation; and on Serbia/Kosovo she will update the FAC on developments following the arrest of Mladic, and on her visit to the region.

Belarus

Ministers are due to discuss the worsening political and human rights situation in Belarus. They will consider applying further targeted restrictive measures in order to put pressure on the regime to release all political prisoners and cease the continuing repression of human rights defenders. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement on the sentences passed against former presidential candidates in Belarus on 27 May:

“I utterly condemn the sentences passed against former presidential candidates, Mikolai Statkevich and Dmitry Uss, on 26 May. Whatever the official reason given for their conviction it is clear that their real “crime” was the exercise of their right to protest against the flawed elections of 19 December.

I equally condemn the sentencing on 20 May of former presidential candidates, Vladzimir Neklyayev and Vytaly Rymasheuski. This trial is the latest in a series of politically-motivated show trials which have seen the conviction of 43 people. The Belarusian authorities need to understand that there can be no normalisation of relations with the international community without respect for the most basic of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

European Neighbourhood Policy

Ministers will consider conclusions on the European neighbourhood policy, on the basis of the recent communication from the European Commission and External Action Service. This precedes a likely discussion of the new policy by Heads of Government at the European Council on 23-24 June. The revised European neighbourhood policy forms the centrepiece of the EU’s response to the events of the last months in the southern neighbourhood. The communication, which we broadly support, was the subject of an explanatory memorandum submitted to Parliament on 3 June.

Southern Neighbourhood (Libya/Syria/Yemen)

Ministers will discuss progress on Libya since the contact group held in Abu Dhabi on 9 June, where participants agreed to increase pressure on Gaddafi’s regime. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), represented the UK at that meeting. Ministers may also assess the latest humanitarian situation and stabilisation plans.

My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development travelled to Benghazi on 4 June to demonstrate their support for the national transitional council and discuss the council’s plans for a political road map for the future of Libya. Following the visit, the Foreign Secretary updated the House on the middle east and north Africa on 7 June (see link below).

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?id=609070182&view=PressR

On Syria, we expect Ministers to consider recent developments on the ground. We are considering proposing further names of individuals and entities to add to the EU sanctions list. We believe it is vital that the EU keeps up the pressure on Syria while the violence continues. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 7 June, Bashar al-Assad is losing legitimacy. He should either reform or step aside.

Ministers will also discuss the current situation in Yemen. If conclusions are agreed, we expect them to repeat the EU’s call for President Saleh to stand down. We continue to call on all sides to renew dialogue and pursue the Gulf Co-operation Council-brokered initiative as the only solution for smooth political transition in Yemen. On 6 June, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made a joint statement with his German, French, Spanish and Italian counterparts calling for transition to take place on the basis of the GCC initiative. The statement said:

“We take note of President Abdullah Ali Saleh’s departure from Yemen and are grateful to Saudi Arabia for receiving him on its territory for urgent medical assistance. After months of troubles and violence that have inflicted considerable suffering to the people of Yemeni and caused much destruction, we urge all Yemeni civilian and military leaders to respect the truce initiated by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

We call on the Yemeni people to find the way to reconciliation in a spirit of dialogue and national unity, in particular on the basis of the proposals presented in the framework of the Gulf Co-operation Council’s initiative, which we fully support, in order for the Yemeni people to be able to democratically choose its leader. We stand ready to fully support the Yemenis in this move.”

Middle East Peace Process (MEPP)

We are expecting the discussion to be conducted in an informal session over lunch, looking at the latest developments in the MEPP.

General Affairs Council

June European Council

The General Affairs Council will help prepare the June European Council, which takes place in Brussels on 23-24 June 2011. The agenda will cover migration, Croatian accession and economic policy. On the latter point there will be an update by the Commission about the national reform programmes, submitted by member states in April. In this context there may also be a discussion about growth-enhancing structural reforms, following the commitments made by member states at the March European Council. There may also be discussion on the eurozone crisis and the latest situation in the middle east and north Africa. The Council is expected to approve conclusions about the Danube strategy and the integration of Roma communities.

The EU’s overseas development assistance (ODA) targets may also be raised at the European Council. The Foreign Affairs Council adopted conclusions in May (see link below) which set out actual performances against EU aid targets (0.7% of EU gross national income by 2015).

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/122163.pdf

The conclusions of the last European Council in March, where the focus was on economic policy, Libya/north Africa and Japan, can be found at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/120296.pdf

18-Month Programme of the Council

Ministers will discuss the 18-month programme of the Council. This sets out the combined programme of the Polish, Danish and Cypriot presidencies of the Council covering the period July 2011 to December 2012. We expect the programme to be published on the Council’s website in the next few days.

I will deposit copies of this note in the Libraries of both Houses when we receive it, and I will update Parliament on Foreign and General Affairs Councils after the meetings.