At the informal ministerial meeting in Toledo, EU foreign ministers supported the search for a just peace in Ukraine and plans developed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore democracy in Niger.
The meeting, which took place at the Toledo Old Arms Factory under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, was chaired by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and in the presence of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
While Wednesday EU defense ministers – also meeting at Toledo – focused on the military and defensive aspect of support for Ukraine, the emphasis on Thursday was on diplomacy, “not only on the war, but on how to end the war from the point of view of the plan of peace presented by (Ukraine) President Volodymir Zelensky,” Borrell said during a press conference with Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares.
The ministers discussed Zelensky’s peace plan “and how to sustainably support it and place it at the center of the international debate to build a just peace in Ukraine,” Borrell said.
“What we all want is for Ukraine to become as quickly as possible a free and independent country, and sovereign within its internationally recognized borders,” said Albares, who held a breakfast with his Ukrainian counterpart before the meeting.
The candidacy of Ukraine and the Western Balkans for EU membership
The foreign ministers also discussed with Kuleba the prospects of Ukraine’s EU membership.
The war in Ukraine had the side effect of accelerating the EU enlargement process, a “merit-based process” by which a state becomes a member as it fulfills all the conditions, a recalled Borrell.
But at the same time, he considered it positive “to set an objective, a horizon to give political impetus to the process, but also for us, because we must also prepare for an enlargement which will affect 10 new members of the European Union . the EU,” he argued.
Ukraine is currently awaiting the European Commission’s progress report on the reform package proposed by Brussels as a precondition for starting the accession negotiation phase.
“We are waiting for the Commission’s report in October. It will be up to the Spanish Presidency to take the historic decision to take the next steps to open these negotiations for Ukraine’s entry into the EU,” recalled Minister José Manuel Albares.
What we all want is for Ukraine to become a free and independent country as quickly as possible, and sovereign within its internationally recognized borders.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU supports Ukraine’s future membership in the EU, a commitment expressed by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchezin front of the Ukrainian Rada in kyiv on July 1, coinciding with the start of the Spanish semester.
Borrell also announced that the Spanish presidency proposes to hold a ministerial meeting with the ministers of the Western Balkan countries during this semester to analyze the prospects for their accession.
Coup d’état in Niger
Another topic at the center of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers was the political and security situation in the Sahel following the coup in Niger on July 26.
The meeting took place in the presence of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the legitimate government of Niger, Hassoumi Massoudou.
The ministers reiterated their strong condemnation of the coup and called for the release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family, as well as a return to constitutional order, explained Borrell and the Spanish minister.
They also reaffirmed their support for ECOWAS diplomatic efforts to return Niger to legality, and reiterated their decision to suspend cooperation aid to Niger. However, humanitarian aid which contributes to improving the situation of the population of Niger, the second poorest country in the world, will be maintained.
Borrell also announced that EU foreign ministers had launched “a process to create a legal framework for individual sanctions.”
The ministers expressed support for the diplomatic approach aimed at finding a solution to the situation in the country, emphasizing the importance of “African solutions to African problems”, the high representative said.
“We prioritize a diplomatic solution and no one wants a military intervention,” Albares said.
The recent coup in Gabon was also discussed, regarding which Borrell highlighted the difference with Niger: Niger’s deposed President Bazoum was the only democratically elected authority in the Sahel, while in Gabon the elections preceding the coup “left much to be desired from a democratic point of view”, Borrell stressed.
The EU therefore believes that an inclusive dialogue guaranteeing the rule of law and human rights is the best way to try to restore a truly democratic system in Gabon.