SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN AND THE EU RELATIONS WITH PARTNERS WERE DISCUSSED AT THE EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL
On 26 April in Luxembourg, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which focused mainly on the EU-NATO cooperation in Afghanistan, the situation in Sudan, Burma/Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan. Foreign ministers also discussed the development of the EU relations with strategic partners.
In a joint session, the EU foreign and defence ministers discussed the report on the implementation of the EU Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The EU-NATO cooperation in Afghanistan was discussed with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
During the session, Minister A.Ažubalis stressed the importance of civilian actions in Afghanistan and suggested that the EU member countries coordinate actions and organize joint training of civilian experts before they start working in Afghanistan.
Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said that it was especially important to strengthen the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) and to send more police officers and experts to this mission. According to the Minister, it is preferable to establish more police training centres in Afghanistan’s provinces.
“This is an important element in preparing to transfer the responsibility for the country to the people of Afghanistan”, the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy said.
The Ministers also discussed the situation in Kyrgyzstan and adopted the Council conclusions on this matter. According to Minister A.Ažubalis, in the short run it is most important to solve the problem of legitimacy of the Government in Kyrgyzstan and to ensure stability in the country by supporting the preparation of the new constitution and organizing fair elections to the Parliament.
During the working lunch, the ministers discussed the distribution of the EU’s resources to ensure that relations with strategic partners were maintained. Minister A.Ažubalis welcomed the initiative of EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to evaluate, if the EU resources were being used efficiently.
The Minister stressed that funding should in principle correspond to the EU’s foreign policy priorities, particularly with regard to EU’s interests in the Eastern Partnership countries and Central Asia.
During the visit to Luxembourg, Minister A.Ažubalis also discussed the situation in Georgia with C.Ashton and other EU ministers. This issue will be discussed in detail during one of the upcoming meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
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