Informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bratislava
On 2-3 September 2016, the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajčák hosted a traditional informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (also known as a Gymnich i), serving as a platform to exchange views on strategic issues. The meeting focused on seeking solutions to current challenges, and on the long-term priorities of EU i common foreign and security policy.
The meeting started with a working lunch on Friday 2 September 2016, during which ministers assessed the current situation in Turkey and discussed the outlook for further development of relations with that country, which is a key EU partner. In this connection, ministers expressed their unanimous support for the need to maintain a regular and direct dialogue with Turkey at high political levels. The discussion on Turkey was followed by a joint working breakfast of EU foreign ministers with the Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik on Saturday 3 September, which was in fact the first opportunity for the two sides to discuss the latest developments and prospects for further deepening EU-Turkish relations. Both the EU and Turkey confirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening cooperation, respect for commitments by both sides and adherence to the common values on which the partnership is based.
Next ministers discussed in detail the state of play of the Minsk peace process and concrete steps for its further advancement. They raised concerns about the worsening security situation in south-eastern Ukraine and agreed that there was no realistic alternative to a diplomatic solution. They expressed support for the EU's active engagement, including through the Normandy format, the efforts of which had already brought some tangible results. The ministers reiterated that the Union’s clear aim is to stabilise the situation and to continue providing support with a view to building a prosperous Ukraine.
The vision presented by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy i on how to implement the recently endorsed EU global strategy based on the mandate that Ms Mogherini was given at the June summit was welcomed by ministers. They discussed ways to contribute to this end. Slovakia, in its capacity as the Presidency of the Council of the EU i, agreed with the EU’s proposed steps to start implementing the global strategy. The Presidency is to contribute inter alia by organising the conference on the defence sub-strategy that is scheduled to take place in Bratislava in late September.
It has already become a tradition to invite foreign ministers from EU candidate countries (Albania, Montenegro, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) to Gymnich. Discussion in this extended format focused on preventing and countering radicalisation and extremism as well as on cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The phenomenon of radicalisation, foreign fighters and the recruitment of youth represents a security challenge for both the EU and candidate countries. This can be effectively mitigated only together, inter alia by sharing good practices. Ministers acknowledged that the fight against terrorism and radicalisation is a common challenge which should not in any way be perceived as a fight against Islam.
After the Gymnich meeting, Minister Lajčák hosted an informal lunch of EU foreign ministers with foreign ministers from the six Eastern Partnership countries to assess the current state of affairs of the Eastern Partnership project and its vision for the future.