Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini to attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels
Press release 214/2016
11 November 2016
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Brussels on 14 November. Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will be representing Finland at the meeting. The issues on the agenda include Turkey, EU's Southern neighbourhood, the Eastern Partnership, and the implementation of the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the internal developments in Turkey, including the recent arrests of members of parliament representing the opposition parties and restrictions on the freedom of expression, as well as the relationship between the EU and Turkey. The EU released a declaration on the situation in Turkey on 8 November.
With regard to Southern neighbourhood, the discussion will deal in particular with the situation in Syria. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini will share insights on recent meetings she had with key regional actors, the leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Conclusions on Iran will be given.
Furthermore, the meeting will discuss EU’s Eastern Partnership, assessing the progress in partnership policies and the situation of the six partner countries, including in the light of recent elections. The intention is to give Council Conclusions also on this item.
A joint session of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defence, will take place in the end of the meeting to discuss the implementation of the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy in the field of security and defence. Conclusions will also be given on this topic. Finnish Minister of Defence, Jussi Niinistö, will also attend the meeting.
Before the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Soini will attend the informal EU’s Foreign Ministers’ dinner, which will concentrate on EU-US cooperation.
More information: Riikka Taivassalo, Special Adviser to Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 46 923 4581, and Sari Rautio, European Correspondent, tel. +358 295 351 534.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ e-mail addresses are in the form [email protected]