First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić is attending a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The EU foreign ministers discussed Ukraine with the country’s new foreign minister, who reported on the current situation and answered questions on to what extent Ukraine considered useful the EU activities in de-escalating the crisis. Also discussed were the EU-Ukraine-Russia trilateral talks. The ministers expressed readiness to further assist in Ukraine’s stabilization economically and financially, as well as the prospect of EU liberalizing its visa regime. The EU is prepared to impose even stricter sanctions if the situation in eastern Ukraine drastically deteriorates, Pusić said.
There was also talk about the Southern Neighbourhood, notably Syria, Libya and Egypt post-presidential election. The ministers agreed that the election was a step forward towards the stabilization of the situation in Egypt, but also a step back in light of verdicts against Al Jazeera journalists and capital punishments in the country.
The ministers will also discuss the situation in Iraq with the UN special envoy for Iraq.
Pusić discussed with her counterparts the aftermath of the floods in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, saying that some countries had offered concrete aid in mosquito control, as due to the EU administration its financial assistance was still in the works.