At the invitation of the Spanish Presidency, we are attending today the Informal Council of EU Foreign Ministers "Gymnich" in order to discuss two exceptionally serious issues related to the European and global stability.
Firstly, the issue of Ukraine, which persists due to Russia's aggressive policy. I will inform my counterparts about the initiative undertaken by the Greek Government and the Prime Minister to demonstrate our solidarity with Ukraine by also inviting President Zelenskyy to the Athens Summit, organized twenty years after the EU-Western Balkans Summit.
The second issue pertains to the coup d'état that occurred in Niger. Unfortunately, the broader Sahel region is suffering. And it is neither far from us nor an insignificant matter. The events in Gabon have confirmed this. As a matter of fact, this is the eighth coup since 2020. It is crucial for the EU to identify the causes of these coups and prevent their spillover effect.
August 31, 2023