IN LUXEMBOURG, EU FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSSED THE PREPARATION FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
On 26-27 October during the European Union’s General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting in Luxembourg, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas and his associates discussed the preparation for the European Council, relations with Moldova, Western Balkans, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Middle East Peace Process.
When preparing for the European Council, which is due on 29-30 October, foreign ministers discussed the main issues: the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon and climate change, and approved of the adoption of the Strategy on the Baltic Sea Region in the upcoming European Council.
While speaking about the issues of coming into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the Minister had expectations that the Czech Republic would make all necessary decisions, which would allow heads of the European Union countries to choose the candidates to the main EU posts on 29 October: the President of the European Council and the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (“the EU’s Foreign Minister”).
“Europe needs dynamic new faces with strong strategic visions, who would be able to represent all 27 member states,” Minister V.Ušackas said.
In Luxembourg, the Ministers discussed the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS). During the discussions, the most attention was dedicated to the issues of the EEAS status, financing, staff and functions of the future service.
Minister V.Ušackas stressed that the EEAS should satisfy the requirements of the 21st century, i.e. be a modern, dynamic and innovative service. First of all, it has to serve the interests of all the EU citizens, especially when providing urgent consular assistance to the citizens of those EU member states, which do not have their own diplomatic representations in the third countries.
“While establishing a new EEAS, we should not be putting new wine into old wineskins”, the Minister said attracting attention to the fact that member states should play an important role already in the initial stage of shaping the EEAS.
Minister V.Ušackas spoke up for more radical changes while shaping the EEAS, including, but not limited only to renaming the directorates of the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. The Minister encouraged shaping the EEAS in a way that half of the employees of the EEAS would be newly appointed diplomats from the diplomatic services of member states, and the other half from current EU institutions.
The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy highlighted that it was necessary to agree on the principles of sharing the financial support for developing countries within the EU until the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
“We must aim that when sharing the burden of the EU financial support, the contributions of the countries would be adjusted according to their level of development,” Minister V.Ušackas said.
