Foreign Affairs Council: 15 October 2018

Friday 26th October 2018 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 (FAC) on 15 October. It was chaired by the High Representative and Vice-President of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HRVP), Federica Mogherini. The meeting was held in Luxembourg.

Current Affairs



Ministers discussed current affairs issues including the Jamal Khashoggi case on which they agreed the need for a full and transparent investigation by the Saudi authorities in complete co-operation with the Turkish authorities. My right hon. Friend welcomed the new chemical weapons sanctions regime and EU solidarity since the Salisbury attack. He noted the attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and called for new sanctions regimes to address cyber and human rights abuses. He also spoke about Burma and the UN fact-finding mission.

Libya

The discussion on Libya focused on the political process, the stability of the country, and the economic situation. Ministers reiterated the EU’s support for the political process led by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Ghassan Salamé. The Council confirmed the EU’s determination to support a Libyan-led solution for the Libyan people under UN auspices.

The discussions also considered the forthcoming high-level meeting on Libya that will take place in Palermo, Italy on 12-13 November 2018. The Council underlined the importance of holding both presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible, and the need to put in place a proper constitutional and legal framework before the elections take place.

External aspects of migration

The Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), António Vitorino, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, briefed Ministers during this session. Ministers took stock of progress and recent developments, and underlined the importance of the strategic partnership between the EU, the IOM and the UNHCR in Libya. The Council emphasised the significant results delivered through the joint efforts of the EU, its member states and UN agencies. Irregular migration flows to Europe have significantly decreased, and efforts to tackle irregular migration and to fight smuggling networks have been considerably strengthened, in particular through Operation Sophia.

Central African Republic

The Council discussed and adopted conclusions on the Central African Republic (CAR). The conclusions underlined that the situation in the CAR remained fragile and the EU continued to engage in supporting the country. The conclusions also stated that the EU would continue working, through its various instruments, to support the CAR to achieve stability, peace and development and to meet the aspirations of its entire population for lasting peace and reconciliation.

Venezuela

Ministers discussed the situation in Venezuela, and its impact on the region, including on migration. Ministers reaffirmed the EU’s strong position on the political crisis in Venezuela. They agreed that the crisis could only be solved through a political process and to explore the possibility of establishing a contact group that could, if conditions were met, help to facilitate such a process.

The Council agreed a number of measures without discussion:

The Council adopted a new regime of restrictive measures to address the use and proliferation of chemical weapons;

The Council adopted conclusions on “Connecting Europe and Asia—Building blocks for an EU strategy”;

The Council adopted conclusions on Bosnia and Herzegovina/Operation EUFOR Althea;

The Council decided to extend the EU stabilisation action in Mopti and Ségou (EUSTAMS) for a period of three months;

The Council extended the EU restrictive measures against ISIL (Daesh) and al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them until 31 October 2019;

The Council adopted new rules of procedures for the Joint Committee established by the EU-Vietnam framework agreement on comprehensive partnership and co-operation;

The Council agreed the signing, on behalf of the EU, of a protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean agreement establishing an association between the EU and Tunisia or order to take account of the accession of Croatia to the EU;

The Council adopted the EU programme of exercises and exercise-related activities under the common foreign and security policy for the period 2018-22;

The Council extended the mandate of the EU advisory mission (EUAM) Iraq until 17 April 2020;

The Council adopted a recommendation providing detailed guidance on the objectives and progress indicators for the fulfilment by each participating member state of the more binding commitments that have been undertaken when the permanent structured co-operation (PESCO) was launched at the end of 2017;

The Council approved the High Representative’s report on the operation commander’s 28th six-monthly report on Operation EUFOR Althea;

The Council adopted a regulation on the research and training programme of the European Atomic Energy Community for the years 2019 and 2020;

The Council approved a joint statement for the occasion of the second Arctic science ministerial meeting that will take place in Berlin on 25 and 26 October 2018.

[HCWS1042]