Deputy Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Joško Klisovic attended on January 13 and 14 in Athens an informal meeting of EU foreign ministries’ political directors organized by Greece, which is presiding over the EU Council. The political directors, in the presence of EU Special Representative Franz-Michael Mellbin, discussed future EU engagement in Afghanistan, the April presidential elections and security situation ahead of the planned withdrawal of international troops.
Also on the agenda was the situation in the Southern Neighborhood, with an emphasis on preparations for the upcoming January 22 peace conference in Syria, destruction of chemical weapons and the grave humanitarian situation in the country. The political directors also discussed the current situation and prospects for future EU engagement in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, as well as the progress in talks on Iran’s nuclear program and the Middle East peace process. They also talked about the state of affairs in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, as well as the short and long-term EU activities in the region.
The meeting went on to discuss the current events, policies and programs in regard to combating terrorism, including the threat of foreigners – EU citizens, who chose to fight in Syria.
The meeting focused as well on the events in Ukraine, the Eastern Partnership and preparations for the 2015 Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga.
Deputy Minister Klisovic advocated paying more attention to issues and relations in Central Asian countries and maintaining the EU’s focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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