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(EEAS) Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council

Posted by: Semere Asmelash

Date: Monday, 18 February 2019

Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council

Bruxelles, 18/02/2019 - 17:17, UNIQUE ID: 190218_21
Remarks

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We had, with the Ministers, a very good exchange today. As we do not have much time, I do not want to cut short the time for your questions and my answers, so I would be very brief in my debrief and leave more space for your questions. 

We had as a first point on the agenda the Horn of Africa. I reported to the Ministers on the results of the good talks I had during my visit to the Horn of Africa last week and, in particular the European Union support to the wind of reconciliation and opening, in particular between Ethiopia and Eritrea, but also regarding the entire region – possible changes with Somalia and the engagement with also, obviously, Kenya and Djibouti. We are going to reinforce our work in the region, where we are already the first donor, but also the first presence in terms of diplomatic and security work, with a strong presence on the ground.

And then we had three other points, on which I think I told you already something this morningbefore we started.

On Ukraine, five years after the events on Maidan we had a broad discussion with the Member States on our support to the country in a year that is an electoral year, where we see the need to support and sustain the reform agenda; and, obviously, on our well known position on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. We have also discussed further elements of support that we can give in particular to the areas of the Azov Sea region following a visit that we had from the European Union to the area and where we have identified possible areas for further support from the EU, in particular on railway and road connections in the area, training centres in some Ukrainian cities around the Azov Sea, and support for small- and medium-sized enterprises: all elements that together with the European Commission we are now going to follow up on, to strengthen support especially to this area.

We then had a point on Syria with the Ministers to prepare for the [third] Brussels Conference [supporting the future of Syria and the region] and to assess our common position that remains unchanged. Our consistent position is that of support to the UN-led political process, in particular the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and the preparation of our work to support the eventuality of a reconstruction in the country being linked to the political process starting under UN leadership and auspices.

And last but not least, we had with the Ministers an update over the formal session we had just now on Venezuela. I reported to the Ministers on the work we have done with the International Contact Group that was established since we last met informally in Bucharest. We had the first meeting of the International Contact Group in Montevideo some days ago, most of the Ministers of the Member States that are part of the Group were present there with me.

We are going to send a technical mission, led by the European Union and Uruguay as the two co-chairs of the Group, to Caracas this week to work on the assessment of the support that can be given to open the way for a democratic and peaceful transition, a democratic and peaceful outcome of the crisis, and, in particular, the holding of fresh presidential elections. So, the work on that side continues.

I stress here our intention to, first of all, help create the conditions for early presidential elections, for a peaceful outcome of the crisis - we have categorically excluded any European Union support or understanding for any military escalation around or inside the country - and we have also stressed the need to work, as the European Union and its Member States, together with our friends and partners in the region to avoid that humanitarian aid can be used for purposes that are different from international humanitarian law.

We, as you know, as European Union have quite a consistency on humanitarian aid delivery, being the first humanitarian donor in the world. We dedicate more resources and work to humanitarian aid than the rest of the world combined, so we have a certain credibility to discuss about humanitarian aid and we can strongly advocate for humanitarian aid to be channelled through the proper channels, which must never be used for different purposes other than the one of reaching the population in need.

Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations
+32 (0)2 29 86570
+32 (0)498 984 425
EEAS Press Officer
+32 (0)2 29 80833
+32 (0)460 84 2115
Press Officer for International Cooperation and Development
+32 (0)2 29 92256
+32 (0)460 792 256
Press Officer for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
+32 (0) 2 29 89359
+32 (0)460 768 088


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