Foreign Affairs Council: 17 July 2017

Monday 16th October 2017 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe and the Americas (Sir Alan Duncan)]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 July. The Foreign Affairs Council was chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. The meeting was held in Brussels.

Foreign Affairs Council

The meeting covered discussions on the EU global strategy, democratic people’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Libya and migration.

EU global strategy

The Council had a discussion on the implementation on the EU global strategy; Foreign Ministers provided guidance on the priorities for 2017-2018.

DPRK

The discussion was shaped by the Council conclusions, agreed in the EU Political and Security Committee earlier in the day. Ministers focused on the threat the DPRK posted to global security and condemned its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programme in violation multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

Libya

The Council adopted conclusions on Libya. With the EU warmly welcoming the appointment of Ghassan Salame as the new special representative of the UN Secretary General. The Council also agreed to extend the CSDP mission EUBAM Libya until 31 December 2018. The Council underlined the importance of operation Sophia (the EU’s naval operation to disrupt the business model of human smugglers and traffickers in the Southern Central Mediterranean).

Migration

Foreign Ministers discussed migration, focusing on the situation in the Central Mediterranean route, together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and the Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration William Lacy Swing.

Ministers agreed a number of measures without discussion:

The Council adopted a crisis management concept for a new civilian CSDP mission in Iraq.

On 17 July 2017, the Council added 16 persons to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime.

The Council adopted conclusions on Pakistan, stating that the EU has a clear interest in a stable, secure, and democratic Pakistan.

The Council adopted conclusions on addressing the risks of famine.

The Council adopted conclusions on the EU priorities at the UN and at the 72nd UN General Assembly.

The Council endorsed the EU-ASEAN plan of action 2018-2022.

[HCWS168]