On 14 December 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, took part in the meeting of the European Union’s General Affairs Council in Brussels, at which EU foreign ministers discussed, among other topics, the EU’s enlargement, the process of stabilisation and association, preparations for the European Council meeting on 16-17 December, and issues related to the Conference on the Future of Europe.
At the meeting, the Slovenian Presidency provided information about the Conference on the Future of Europe. Edgars Rinkēvičs offered the opinion that timely and transparent discussions are expected on a possible extension of the Conference beyond the spring of 2022, after a careful consideration of advantages and risks. First and foremost, the Conference should build on EU citizens’ debate. We are concerned about the attempts in working groups to steer the process away from the principle of citizen-based discussions, Minister Rinkēvičs said and he warned that such actions could undermine the credibility of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The General Affairs Council then exchanged views on the draft conclusions in preparation for the leaders’ meeting on 16-17 December in Brussels. The European Council’s agenda will include the following topics: COVID-19, crisis management and resilience, increase in energy prices, security and defence, the external dimension of migration, and the EU’s external relations: Belarus, Ukraine, preparations for the EU-Africa Summit, Southern Neighbourhood, and Ethiopia.
Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed Latvia’s support for the draft conclusions of the European Council. At the same time, the Minister noted that it was important for the EU to condemn Russia’s activities near the Ukrainian border, and to be prepared to respond with sanctions, should that be necessary. The Latvian Foreign Minister drew attention to the overall situation in Belarus, focusing in particular on the Belarusian civil society and condemning the actions by the Alexander Lukashenka regime.
In the work on the EU-NATO declaration and the Strategic Compass it is essential to send a strong political signal to EU leaders concerning adequate resources for defence, so that capabilities could be built to realize the defined ambitions in cooperation with partners, Edgars Rinkēvičs said.
The meeting also addressed current coordination of action during the COVID-19 pandemic, and practices affecting free movement of persons and the validity of vaccination certificates in the EU, in order to prevent the experience of the spring of 2020 from repeating itself and ensure the unimpeded functioning of the Single Market and integrity of the Schengen Area.
Photo: European Union