EU foreign affairs ministers will meet at the Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) in Lisbon on 27 May. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.
The topics on the agenda include the unresolved conflicts in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, relations between the EU and Africa, and the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific. In connection with the meeting, the foreign ministers will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Ayman Safadi.
Finland places great importance on the EU’s comprehensive action in the eastern neighbourhood; the EU should continue its support to facilitate large-scale social changes, find solutions to conflicts and improve the humanitarian situation.
The tense situation in the Middle East will probably be discussed with the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi. Jordan plays an important role in the Middle East Peace Process. The foreign ministers will also discuss the EU’s renewed partnership with the southern neighbourhood.
The EU foreign ministers will discuss the state of the EU-Africa relations and the progress in the preparations for the summit between the EU and the African Union. The EU must invest in rapid reaction, coordination and broader contacts with African countries to reinforce relations that are based on reciprocity and more strategic interaction. The EU must also be able to respond to the difficult COVID-19 situation in Africa.
The foreign ministers will also hold a strategic debate on the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific. Finland welcomes the EU’s more strategic approach and sees it as an opportunity to improve the EU’s ability to participate in cooperation in the region in ways that promote European values and interests.
Inquiries:
Joel Linnainmäki, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 466
Matti Nissinen, European Correspondent, tel. +358 295 351 780
The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi
