Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins to discuss current issues at GAERC meeting in Brussels

On 26 May 2008, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins will participate in the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting in Brussels. Meetings of the EU defence ministers and development co-operation ministers will also be held in parallel.

At the General Affairs session, the annotated agenda of the 19-20 June European Council will be discussed. The key issues on the European Council agenda are the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the food crisis, the economic and financial situation, the EU progress in achieving the Millennium Goals, the draft Migration and Asylum Pact, climate policy and legislation of the internal energy market, and external relations.

At the External Relations session, the ministers are scheduled to discuss the situation in Serbia after the parliamentary and local government elections on 11 May. A discussion on the developments in Georgia after the 21 May elections and possibilities of resolving existing regional conflicts is also planned. Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Poland are to give presentations on the EU Neighbourhood Policy, to be followed by a discussion on the need to deepen the relations with the EU eastern neighbouring countries.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs will discuss the issue of Afghanistan in preparation for the International Conference in support of Afghanistan, which is to be held in Paris on 12 June. The talks will also include topics such as the EU contribution in Iraq and the annual conference on the International Compact with Iraq organised jointly by Sweden, the United Nations and Iraq, to be held in Stockholm on 29 May.

The Foreign Ministers plan to discuss the current situation in the Middle East, and the political, security and humanitarian situation in Somalia. On the issue of the World Trade Organisation, the future of the Doha development round negotiations will be debated with a view to the forthcoming ministerial meeting in Geneva in June.

At a joint session with the defence ministers, the foreign ministers will discuss the European Security and Defence Policy, current ESDP missions and operations.

At the GAERC Development Ministers meeting, the promotion and protection of children's rights in EU's external activities in the field of development and humanitarian issues will be discussed, focussing in particular on the elimination of child labour. In preparation for the high level UN event on the Millennium Development Goals in New York on 25 September, the session will also include the issue of the EU contribution toward achieving these goals. A discussion on the Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific region is also scheduled.

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