EU foreign ministers to discuss EU Eastern Partnership, Southern Neighbourhood and Myanmar

Press release 222/2013
18.10.2013

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Luxembourg on 21 October. Finland’s representative in the meeting will be Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The affairs on the meeting agenda include EU Eastern Partnership, Southern Neighbourhood, and Myanmar.

With respect to the EU Eastern Partnership, the Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the preparations for the Vilnius Summit, to be held in November, and the situation of the Association Agreements negotiated with partner countries.

The main topics relating to the Southern Neighbourhood are Syria, Egypt and Libya. In relation to Syria, the topical issues to be discussed include the measures taken by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) regarding Syria’s chemical weapons and the alarming humanitarian situation in the country. As regards Egypt and Libya, the current political situation in these countries will be highlighted, as well as the EU’s further measures in this respect. Topics likely to arise in connection with the discussion on the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood are the measures taken by the EU to prevent happenings like the boat disaster in Lampedusa.

With respect to Myanmar, the country’s democratic and peaceful development will be at the centre of the Foreign Affairs Council's discussions. Myanmar will also be the topic over the Foreign Affairs Council's luncheon, with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as guest.

Additional information: Tarja Fernández, European Correspondent, tel. +358 40 590 9855; and Tero Shemeikka, Press Attaché to Foreign Minister Tuomioja, tel. +358 40 515 1097