Foreign Affairs Council

David Lidington Excerpts

Monday 3rd March 2014 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs attended the extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council called to discuss Ukraine on 20 February in Brussels, chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Ashton of Upholland. Commissioner Füle (Enlargement) was also in attendance.

Foreign Affairs Council

A provisional report of the meeting and conclusions adopted can be found at: http://www.consilium.europa. eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/141113.pdf

Ukraine

Ministers met on 20 February for an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council to decide on the EU’s response to the rapidly worsening situation in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary said that the EU needed to react strongly and do what we could to stop the violence. He argued that the sanctions should be swift, well targeted and effective.

The Council agreed conclusions, which condemned in the strongest terms all use of violence, and called for those responsible for grave human rights violations to be brought to justice, and which set in train EU sanctions including assets-freezes and a visa ban for those responsible for violence. In addition, a ban on equipment that might be used for internal repression was also agreed. The conclusions recalled that the EU remained ready to support Ukraine in the process of reform to deliver a stable, prosperous and democratic future for its citizens.

The Foreign Secretary’s statement to the House on 24 February 2014, Official Report, column 26 set out how UK policy has developed to take account of the dramatic changes in Ukraine over the previous weekend.