Blanar Attends EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting in Brussels

Brussels, 21 November (TASR) – Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, where the heads of diplomacy of EU-member states discussed current foreign policy topics, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the situation in Sudan, and the Sahel region, TASR reported on Friday based on information from the Foreign Ministry's communications department. The discussion on Ukraine primarily revolved around the circumvention of sanctions by Russia's shadow fleet. "On behalf of Slovakia, I conveyed a request to our partners that vessels supplying us with oil via the Adria pipeline - primarily from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - shouldn't be subject to these sanctions," he said, stressing the need to achieve a just and lasting peace based on respect for international law and the UN Charter. As regards aid to Ukraine for the coming years, Blanar repeated that if frozen Russian assets are to be released, Slovakia wouldn't participate in this form of support. "Slovakia continues to provide Ukraine with humanitarian and energy aid, including emergency electricity supplies and, as part of the new winter aid package, we are delivering, for example, diesel generators, fuel and shelters," said the head of Slovak diplomacy, noting that the effect of such non-lethal aid is immediate when it comes to protecting the lives of civilians. The ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East, focusing on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Blanar praised the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution supporting US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip and called for the implementation of its next phase. "Providing extensive humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip, including safe, predictable access to aid for those who need it most, remains our priority," stated Blanar. The heads of diplomacy also agreed on the need for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from post-war governance of the Gaza Strip. With regard to the conflict in Sudan, the ministers strongly condemned the violence against civilians, with Blanar emphasising that "it's essential to ensure that civilians are protected, including immediate and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid". The main principles of the EU's new approach to the Sahel region in Africa were agreed at the meeting. Blanar said that the EU "must remain present in Sahel and protect its values and interests there - from supporting security, stability, and development to preventing illegal migration and fighting terrorism and organised crime". The agenda also included an informal lunch with partners from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which will be followed by the fourth EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Brussels on Friday (21 November). "Slovak diplomacy is interested in strengthening strategic engagement towards this region, which is one of the most dynamically developing regions in the world," said Blanar. jrg/df