Informal meeting of Defence Ministers

On 27 and 28 May, the Portuguese Minister of National Defence, João Gomes Cravinho, will play host to the Defence Ministers of the other Member States of the European Union (EU i) at an informal face-to-face meeting in Lisbon.

On 27 May, at 18h15 (Lisbon time), the Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers will be chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell i. This will be followed by a working dinner, which will also be attended by the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg i, where the reinforcement of EU-NATO relations will be addressed.

On Friday, 28 May, the working sessions, beginning at 9 am, will reflect on the Strategic Compass and its capabilities, with a focus on emerging and disruptive technologies, the situation in Mozambique and other current issues.

During the morning, the EU-Africa Partnership for Peace and Security will be analysed and discussed. Also participating in this session will be the UN, as well as three African regional development organisations: SADC (South African Development Community), IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) and ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States).

The Minister for National Defence and the High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission will be taking part in a press conference after the meeting, which is scheduled for 14h00 (Lisbon time).