Loading ...Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu on November 10 attended a meeting in Brussels of European Union’s General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), along with other EU foreign, defence and development cooperation ministers.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) reports in a press release that the EU foreign ministers, gathered in an external relations meeting, approved an annotated agenda of the European Council winter meeting, December 11-12, 2008. The most important topics of the winter summit will be the Lisbon Treaty, the energy-climate change package, economic and financial aspects, the Common Agricultural Policy, external and security relations.
Upon the request of Minister Comanescu, the meeting agreed that the December summit would also tackle the social inclusion of the Roma, as established by the June summit of the European Council.
The foreign ministers also discussed the preparations for the EU-Russia summit scheduled for November 14, 2008. In this context, a consensus emerged on the new agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation, with the 27 ministers reiterating at the same time the requirement that Moscow should meet all the pledges from the August 12 and September 8 agreements, including the observance of territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Georgia.
The external relations session also included discussing the latest developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the latest developments in the political and security situations in Iraq. The foreign ministers adopted a report on the implementation in 2008 of the Civilian Headline Goal 2010, as well as a declaration reading commitments to improve the civil capabilities of the EU, particularly their quality.
Also tackled by the joint session of the EU foreign affairs and defence ministers were the European Security and Defence Policy, Afghanistan, and the Western Balkans, with emphasis on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ministers discussed the domestic politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina and highlighted the decisive progress achieved by the EU ALTHEA military mission there in the spirit of the Dayton Accord.
As far as the situation in Afghanistan was concerned, Romania voiced support for the expansion if the EUPOL Police mission of the EU in Afghanistan in coordination with Afghan officials and amidst the Afghan authorities taking over increased responsibilities, including as far as the speeding up of institutional reform is concerned. Romania highlighted the importance of finding out ways of getting neighbor countries involved in the international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and also pointed out the importance of holding the 2009 election well.
On the sidelines of the GAERC meeting, the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency; the EU-Tunisia Association Council; the EU-Jordan Association Council; the EU-OSCE Troika the EU- Southern African Development Community, and the EU- EU – CEEAC (Communauté Economique des Etats d’Afrique centrale) Troika also convened in session.
The Civilian Headline Goal 2010 is a document underpinning the development of the civil capabilities of the EU so that the EU may be able to meet efficiently its crisis management tasks.
It was approved by the ministerial Civilian Capabilities Improvement Conference and noted by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 19 November 2007.
It was approved by the ministerial Civilian Capabilities Improvement Conference and noted by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 19 November 2007.
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