Gymnich: informele ontmoeting ministers Buitenlandse Zaken in Dublin (en)

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European Union foreign ministers will gather at historic Dublin Castle on Friday and Saturday (22 and 23 March) for their biannual informal meeting - also known as the 'Gymnich', after the castle in Germany where the first such informal was held in 1974.

The meeting will be chaired by High Representative Catherine Ashton i and hosted by Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, on behalf of the Irish Presidency.

The meeting begins at 12.30 on Friday with a lunch discussion on the crisis in Syria. Ministers will examine how the EU can further enhance its help for the people of Syria and will underline their total support for the efforts of Special Envoy Brahimi to find a political solution to end the spiral of violence.

Following the European Council discussion last Friday, ministers will discuss the current sanctions regime, which was rolled over for three months from the beginning of March, and must be renewed again by the end of May. They will reflect further on the potential implications of moving beyond the present EU restrictions which foresee the supply of "non-lethal equipment" and associated technical assistance to protect the population. The discussion will prepare the ground for further talks at technical level to prepare a formal decision by the Foreign Affairs Council.

On Friday afternoon, ministers will look at the upcoming review of the European External Action Service, which will be completed this summer. The review clause was written into the decision establishing the EEAS to allow fine-tuning of how the service works, based on the first two years of experience. Elmar Brok i , the Chair of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, has been invited to attend this debate. Over the past months, the EEAS has been reflecting on the review and the debate will also draw on the substantial input received from EU Member States, the European Parliament and other interested parties. Vice President Maros Sefcovic i (please put in correct accents!) will represent the European Commission.

A third topic - enhancing the EU's partnerships with regional organisations - is also due to be looked at. This discussion will focus on political and operational engagement related to peace and stability, and will draw on success stories to date and look to identify how lessons learned could be applied in the future. The EU has established excellent working relationships with a number of regional organisations, including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the League of Arab States, and the Association of South East Asian Nations. Such links have been crucial in maximising the international community's effectiveness in a number of trouble spots. For example, the EU is working closely with the LAS on the Syria crisis and is supporting the efforts of ECOWAS in Mali.

The meeting ends at 13.00 on Saturday with a joint press conference by High Representative Ashton and Minister Gilmore.