EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine as well as Western Balkans and Horn of Africa

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 22 May. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the meeting.

The EU foreign ministers will continue their discussion on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They will discuss the EU’s continued military support to Ukraine and EU sanctions and how to prevent their circumvention. The ministers will also exchange views on accountability matters and Ukraine’s peace plan.

The foreign ministers will discuss the current affairs of the Western Balkans. The shift in the European foreign and security policy environment underlines the importance of having good relations between the EU and the Western Balkans.

“The commitment of our Western Balkan partners to the EU’s values is all the more important in the current geopolitical environment. We must increase our cooperation in responding to hybrid threats, improving cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructure and tackling information influence activities,” says Foreign Minister Haavisto.

The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the situation in the Horn of Africa and the developments in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, among other countries.

“Finland supports mediation efforts in Sudan and recommends that all imaginable channels of discussion be used. Democratic and peaceful groups and the civil society must be included in the discussions,” Foreign Minister Haavisto says.

Under current affairs, the ministers will exchange views on Central Asia and Tunisia, among others.

The EU foreign ministers will have an informal discussion over lunch with the six Western Balkans foreign ministers.