Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Iraq and the regional situation

The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will meet in Brussels on 10 January. Finland will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. The meeting will focus on the situation in Iraq and on ways to de-escalate tensions in the region. The current situation in Libya will also be discussed.

The extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council will be held to discuss the situation in Iraq and its neighbouring region and the possibilities to reduce tensions in the area.

Finland condemns the attack on bases hosting international peacekeeping troops and considers it important that such attacks do not reoccur. Finland considers it essential that all possible means be used to reduce the tensions and to open dialogue between the parties. The EU should work in close cooperation with the countries in the region and other countries that can act as intermediaries in this respect.

The extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council will also discuss the situation in Libya with UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ghassan Salamé.

Inquiries: Katja Kalamäki, Diplomatic Adviser to Foreign Minister Haavisto, tel. +358 50 511 1518, and Matti Nissinen, European Correspondent, tel. +358 295 351 780.

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected].