Brussels: The Foreign Affairs Council, chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, will have a discussion next week on current affairs allowing ministers to review pressing issues on the international agenda.
The Council will discuss the future of the EU partnership with the African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP).
Foreign ministers will hold an exchange of views on how to take the partnership forward after 2020, as the current agreement framing the partnership, the Cotonou agreement, is due to expire in 2020. It will be the first ministerial discussion on the Commission’s recommendation and draft negotiating directives (12 December 2017).
The Council will then review the political, economic and security situation in Libya. The UN Secretary General Special Representative in Libya Ghassam Salamé will take part in this discussion via videoconference. This discussion also follows the trilateral meeting of the joint AU-EU-UN taskforce in Brussels on 14 December 2017.
The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the Middle East Peace Process. The Council will hold a debate on the latest developments in the region in preparation for the informal lunch with President Abbas.
EU foreign ministers and the High Representative will have an informal lunch with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss the Middle East Peace Process, bilateral relations and regional developments.
The Council is expected to adopt a number of decisions and conclusions without debate, including Council conclusions on the EU strategy for Iraq, on Zimbabwe, on the integrated approach to external conflicts and crises and on EU priorities for cooperation with the Council of Europe.
The Foreign Affairs Council meeting will be preceded by an informal breakfast with European Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer to discuss the possible establishment of a development branch within the European Investment Bank.
