The EU Foreign Ministers to discuss the situation in Kosovo

Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Press Release  40/2007
9 February 2007

The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) will meet in Brussels on Monday, 12 February.  Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki will represent Finland at the GAERC meeting.

The Council will discuss the situation in Kosovo in the light of the status proposal put forward by the UN Special Envoy, Martti Ahtisaari, on 2 February. Special Envoy Ahtisaari will attend the Council meeting. The proposal will be taken to the UN Security Council which is to issue a new Resolution on the issue. Before that, it is to be discussed among the parties to the proposal.

Finland supports the status proposal. The intention is to bring the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to a conclusion with the new Resolution which is to be issued later this spring. The coordination of international support will be supervised by an international civilian office. The main focus of the EU’s activities will be on civil crisis management and provision of support for Kosovo’s economy. The EU is preparing for a civil crisis operation which will monitor areas related to the rule of law, the police and administration. The aim of the Nato-led military presence is to ensure security in Kosovo in cooperation with local actors.

The Council will also consider the situation in Serbia in the aftermath of parliamentary elections and the relations between the EU and Serbia. An EU-Western Balkans Forum at the level of Foreign Ministers will also take place in connection of the Council meeting.

The Commission will present the Council with an overview of the WTO negotiations round based on discussions held, for example, at the Davos World Economic Forum. The intention is not, however, to agree on new negotiation positions.

An informal meeting of the EU Trade Ministers will also be held in connection of the Council meeting and it will take place in the evening of 11 February. This time the meeting will focus on the perspectives of the WTO negotiations round and the negotiating mandates for bilateral trade talks which are to be launched in the near future.

The Ministers will also discuss the situation in the Middle East. The Ministers will touch on the negotiations between the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khales Meshaal to form a national unity government.  Finland’s position is that the EU must maintain its support for the formation of a national unity government and for the continuation of the peace process.

The meeting will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan and the EU’s crisis management activities. The Presidency will present the results of the EU-Afghanistan Foreign Ministers’ Troika meeting which was held on 29 January. Finland’s position is that the EU must maintain its support for the stabilisation, reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. Finland will continue its participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan with the provision of a reconstruction team. The intention is also to continue to take stock of the support measures under the European Security and Defence Policy for the development of the rule of law in Afghanistan. This work was begun during the Finnish EU Presidency.

In the context of external relations, the Council will also discuss the EU-Africa relations and the situation in Sudan and Somalia. Finland supports the EU’s, the UN’s and the African Union’s efforts to intensify wide-based political discussions with the Sudanese government and with other parties to the Darfur crisis. The UN’s support for the African Union’s peace keeping operation in Darfur should be increased. With regard to Somalia, the Ministers will discuss the alternatives with regard to the EU's support for the Somali interim government and the reconciliation process. The Council will also discuss the EU’s possible financial support for the planned African Union Peace Support Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).

Other external relations issues will include the EU-Iran relations and the condition of the Bulgarian nursing staff sentenced to death in Libya.

The Ministers will also discuss the Spring European Council which will take place on 8-9 March and the main theme of which will be a competitive, social and environmentally sustainable Europe. According to the preliminary agenda, the conclusions of the European Council will focus on the Lisbon Strategy, better regulation and energy and climate policy. The European Council is also to discuss the European Commission’s annual Progress Report on the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. The report’s country-specific recommendations will be presented to the European Council for adoption.

Finland supports efforts to push forwards with the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. It would be important to make use of the positive economic outlook and continue the needed structural reforms. At the same time, the Community-level development of the internal market must also be continued.

Further information: Jari Luoto, State Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2180, and Anne Huhtamäki, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Division for European Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6097