Development issues high on Mogherini's agenda this week

HR/VP Federica Mogherini i's agenda this week included visits to Turkey and Lebanon, being sworn in at the European Court of Justice, and chairing Foreign Affairs Council on Development.

This week Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC, started with an official visit to Turkey together with European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn i and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides i. "Europe stands firmly with Turkey and is determined to play its role to the full to bring a lasting political solution to this regional crisis and humanitarian tragedy" she said. The visit underlined the strategic importance of the EU's relations with Turkey and demonstrated EU cooperation and coherence in external relations.

Mogherini paid a visit to Lebanon to meet with Prime Minister Tammam Salam. There she stressed that "it's important for Lebanon to overcome the difficult time security-wise and try to find together the way of facing both the challenge of the refugees coming on the territory, but also security challenges to the country." She also met Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and Cardinal Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros al-Raï.

Other activities this week included Mogherini together with the rest of the College of European Commissioners travelling to Luxembourg to be sworn in by the European Court of Justice and Mogherini meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Fatmir Besimi in Brussels.

On Friday Mogherini chaired Foreign Affairs (Development) Council where migration, post-2015 goals, Ebola and women empowerment were on the agenda.