The Council of General Affairs and External Relations discusses the situation in the Western Balkans and Middle East and EU crisis management operations
Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Press release 156/2006
12.5.2006
The EU Council of General Affairs and External Relations will convene in Brussels on 15 May. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Minister of European Affairs Paula Lehtomäki. Seppo Kääriäinen, Minister of Defence, will take part in a meeting of defence ministers and in a joint meeting of foreign affairs ministers and defence ministers.
The principal topic of the Council is the situation in the Western Balkans. Bosnia-Herzegovina has not approved the first amendments to the constitutional reform; this has slowed integration with the EU. Finland encourages Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue its reforms and to strengthen its ownership. Talks with Serbia and Montenegro on the Association and Stabilisation Agreement were suspended at the beginning of May. According to Commissioner Olli Rehn, the talks can be resumed when former General Ratko Mladic has been brought to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Finland takes a favourable view of the Commission’s position. There will be a referendum in Montenegro on 21 May regarding separation of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Voting in the referendum is expected to be close.
Iran’s nuclear programme will also be discussed. The report submitted to the UN Security Council by the Director General of the IAEA confirms that Iran has not complied with the urging of the Security Council in March to observe the IAEA resolutions. A resolution that is legally binding on Iran is the aim of the Security Council. Finland continues to regard finding of a diplomatic solution important.
The Council will also discuss the situation in the Middle East, assistance to the Palestinians, and contacts with Palestinian Authority. The EU would like to maintain pressure on the Hamas government to gain its approval of three conditions for collaboration: restraint from violence, recognition of Israel’s right to exist, and approval of existing agreements. In any case, humanitarian aid must be secured. Finland’s assistance programmes will continue within this framework.
As far as external affairs are concerned, Iraq is also on the agenda. After the appointment of Iraq’s new government, pressure for active promotion of cooperation with Iraq has grown while security in the country has deteriorated. With respect to promotion of national reconciliation, it would be important to form a broad-based coalition government quickly. Finland supports gradually intensified cooperation between the EU and Iraq in keeping with the EU’s Iraq strategy and is also prepared to support this during its own Presidency.
The foreign affairs ministers will discuss the proposal of the Austrian Presidency for the agenda of the June European Council. The main theme for discussion is the future of the Union. Preparations for the European Council will continue with various ministers in attendance, for example in an informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers to be held at the end of May. The Council of General Affairs and External Relations will return to preparations just before the European Council on 12 June.
The EU defence ministers convening in conjunction with the Council will discuss the European Defence Agency and the EU’s military capabilities development and discuss EU operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Efforts by the EU to improve preparedness for catastrophes, civilian-military coordination, and security sector reforms in the Western Balkans will be under consideration at a joint meeting of EU foreign affairs and defence ministers.
A ministerial-level meeting of the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency will be held in conjunction with the Council. Defence-related research, technology, and resources will be the main agenda items on the basis of discussions by Heads of State at Hampton Court last autumn.
Transparency of the Council’s operations and informing about EU issues will be discussed at a luncheon attended by the Ministers of European Affairs. With respect to transparency, the proposal of the Austrian Presidency to increase the number of ministerial-level public sessions of the Council will be under consideration. Austria proposes that as a rule, all stages of ministerial-level proceedings involving all issues subject to the co-decision procedure would be public, unless otherwise decided. Decisions will not be made at the meeting of Ministers of European Affairs, although Austria is seeking support to increase the transparency of Council sessions through discussion. Finland concurs with the aims of the Presidency and gives its support to the Austrian proposals. As the next Presidency, it would be up to Finland to undertake implementation of the decisions. Public debate on the Constitutional Treaty will also be discussed.
Further information: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2182, Stefan Lee, attaché, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5438, and Olli-Pekka Jalonen, Head of Unit, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8154