Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Turkey and Economic Security Baerbock at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in July

The agenda for the last Foreign Affairs Council before the summer break in Brussels is long. With Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who will participate via video link, foreign ministers will discuss the current situation in Ukraine. After that, the Council will consider how the EU can continue to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s war of aggression. The focus will be on how to shape potential security guarantees for Ukraine. This will build on the talks held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius last week. The foreign ministers will also discuss how Russia can be held responsible for crimes committed in Ukraine (click here for more information on this responsibility).

EU-Turkey relations

The European Union has a strategic interest in having good relations with Turkey. The relationship is complex. Close ties between peoples, EU candidate country status and partnership in NATO contrasts with sometimes serious deficits in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights. THE EU Commission has noted this on several occasions. During the European Council at the end of June, the EU The Heads of State and Government, at the instigation of Germany, called on the EU Commission to present a report by the autumn on the course adopted by Turkey following the re-election of President Erdogan. Foreign Ministers will discuss this today in the context of the current state of EU-Relations with Turkey.

Economic Security

Supply chains disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s militarization of gas and oil, issues of economic resilience and sovereignty are increasingly security issues. On June 20, the EU presented its economic security strategy, which pursues the triple objective of promotion, protection and partnership. The EU27 will jointly discuss the foreign policy dimension of economic security. In this context, the German strategy on China, published last week, will also play a role.

Discussion with Anthony Blinken

Relations between the European Union and the United States have rarely been as close as they are today. As an expression of this close coordination, US Secretary of State Blinken will join today’s meeting via video link for an in-depth discussion focusing on the issue of joint support for Ukraine. However, the discussion will likely also cover other foreign policy issues such as the situation in the Western Balkans and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Other issues sanctions, COP28 …

The human rights situation of women and girls remains poor in many parts of the world. For this reason, the EU plans to agree new lists of those responsible for human rights violations and sexual violence in Afghanistan, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, among others, under the current human rights sanctions regime ‘male. At the instigation of the German-Danish Group of Friends for Ambitious Climate Diplomacy, Foreign Ministers will discuss the preparatory work for the 28th Climate Change Conference COP28 in December.