Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defense, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
The two ministers underlined the importance for the European Union of keeping the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the European agenda. In this respect, the EU must maintain its unity and continue its support for Ukraine. On 5 January 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, made a working visit to Berlin, where he was received by his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock. During the meeting, Ministers Bettel and Baerbock discussed the excellent bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Germany and ways to further strengthen them, in particular in the areas of mobility and teleworking. The exemplary cross-border cooperation between the two countries was also discussed. The working meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on the main current European and international issues, in particular the reform and enlargement of the EU, the situation in the Middle East and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Finally, the urgent need to relaunch the process for a just and lasting peace was also mentioned. With regard to the latest developments in the Middle East, Minister Bettel expressed his concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and called for a humanitarian ceasefire and rapid implementation of Resolution 2720, adopted by the Security Council, to allow unimpeded and expanded access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
