Rådsmøde nr. 3389 (udenrigsanliggender) den 18. maj 2015

Europaudvalget 2015-16
Rådsmøde 3389 - udenrigsanliggender
Offentligt

Council of the

European Union

8966/15

(OR. en)

PRESSE 34

PR CO 26

OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING

3389th Council meeting

Foreign Affairs

Brussels, 18 May 2015

President

Federica Mogherini

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security

Policy

PRESS

Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026

[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press

8966/15

Rådsmøde nr. 3389 (udenrigsanliggender) den 18. maj 2015 - Bilag 1335942:

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CONTENTS

ITEMS DEBATED

MEETING OF DEFENCE MINISTERS ............................................................................................ 3

State of play of military CSDP operations ........................................................................................... 3

JOINT MEETING OF FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTERS .................................................... 3

Security challenges in the EU's neighbourhood ................................................................................... 3

Preparation for the June European Council ......................................................................................... 3

Strategic review.................................................................................................................................... 3

Follow-up to the European Council of 23 April .................................................................................. 3

MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS ............................................................................................. 4

Middle East peace process ................................................................................................................... 4

OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

–

Burundi .................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Relations with Uzbekistan ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council.......................................................................................................... 7



Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated

in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.

 

Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site

(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).

 

Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by

an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press

Office.

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Rådsmøde nr. 3389 (udenrigsanliggender) den 18. maj 2015 - Bilag 1335942:

18 May 2015

ITEMS DEBATED

MEETING OF DEFENCE MINISTERS

State of play of military CSDP operations

The Council took stock of the state of play concerning military CSDP operations, in the presence of

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

JOINT MEETING OF FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTERS

Security challenges in the EU's neighbourhood

Over lunch, EU defence and foreign ministers exchanged views on the security situation in the EU's

broader neighbourhood with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Preparation for the June European Council

The Council discussed the preparations for the European Council ob 25/26 June 2015, which will

feature an item on the Common Security and Defence Policy on its agenda.

It also adopted conclusions on the Common Security and Defence Policy, as set out

here.

Strategic review

The Council debated ongoing work reviewing changes in the EU's strategic environment, including

the preparation of a report by the High Representative to the European Council on 25/26 June 2015.

Follow-up to the European Council of 23 April

The Council took stock of the follow-up to the European Council of 23 April 2015, which focused

on migration issues. It approved a crisis management concept for an EU naval operation to disrupt

the business model of human smugglers in the Southern Central Mediterranean and adopted the

legal basis for this operation. For more details, see

press release.

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Rådsmøde nr. 3389 (udenrigsanliggender) den 18. maj 2015 - Bilag 1335942:

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MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS

Middle East peace process

The Council exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and on prospects for the peace

process, following the formation of a new Israeli government and ahead of a visit of the High

Representative to the region.

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OTHER ITEMS APPROVED

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Burundi

The Council adopted the following conclusions on Burundi:

"1.

The EU condemns the attempted coup in Burundi and also any act of violence or abuse of

the constitutional order, whoever the perpetrators may be, and points out that the African

Union has stated that it is vital for all Burundian stakeholders to settle their disputes by

peaceful means.

The European Union (EU) expresses its deep concern at the situation in Burundi; in the

wake of the attempted coup, the country is highly vulnerable and there is a risk that the

divisions within Burundian society may be exacerbated.

The EU calls on all parties, the government, the security services and all political groups,

including their youth movements, to refrain from any action which could exacerbate the

tension in Burundi, to bear the higher interest of the country in mind and to seek

arrangements compatible with the Arusha Agreements, which are the foundation on which

peace and democracy have been built. It calls particularly on the Burundian military and

security forces to show restraint, to maintain their neutrality and to protect the civilian

population. It also calls for legal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of the coup to

respect the rights of defence and the rule of law.

It is now essential for the authorities, political forces and civil society to engage in an

inclusive and transparent political dialogue. This dialogue must lead to a political process

which abides by the terms laid down in the constitution and respects its institutions, and the

fundamental principles of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation of 2000, to

ensure that the election process continues in a consensual fashion. The EU points to the

need for further verification --in the course of the inclusive political dialogue-- to see that

conditions are in place to ensure that the election process is credible, transparent and non-

violent. It calls for respect for fundamental freedoms and in particular for the freedoms of

opinion, of expression and of the press and of peaceful protest to be guaranteed.

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In this respect, it agrees with and supports the conclusion of the Summit of the East

African Community (EAC) that conditions conducive to the holding of elections are not in

place, and that the elections should be postponed, within constitutional limits. The EU

points out that its support for the election process and the actual presence of the EU

Election Observation Mission are predicated on those conditions. Both the majority and the

opposition must shoulder their responsibilities in order to ensure an environment

conducive to the holding of elections. In this connection the EU stresses the importance of

the Roadmap which the Government and all political players concluded in March 2013 to

prepare for free and democratic elections in Burundi.

The EU fully supports the efforts of the United Nations (UN), in particular the Secretary-

General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Saïd Djinnit, the work done by the

African Union (AU) under former Prime Minister Edem Kodjo, and the East African

Community's initiatives to ease the way for dialogue between the parties and ensure a

return to stability. It will follow discussions at the next EAC summit with interest.

The EU is ready to contribute to these efforts and calls on all stakeholders in Burundi to

engage sincerely in this dialogue, at the appropriate level and in a spirit of compromise and

reconciliation. The EU commends the AU in particular on its decision to deploy human

rights observers in Burundi as quickly as possible in order to report on violations and to

take steps to resolve conflicts at local level.

The EU also expresses its concern at the massive population displacements caused by these

political tensions, and its concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation, especially as

regards vulnerable groups, particularly women and children. It sees this as a major risk to

an already troubled region. It confirms its support for the efforts of humanitarian agencies

in the region and for neighbouring countries in their efforts to accept refugees fleeing the

insecurity and violence.

The EU recalls that its partnership with Burundi is governed by the Cotonou Agreement. It

is important that each of the parties respect the terms of the Agreement and ensure that the

obligations arising from the Agreement are met, particularly as regards respect for human

rights. The provisions of the Agreement have made it possible to maintain enhanced

political dialogue with the Burundian authorities over the past few months. Depending on

future developments, the EU is ready to consider the adoption of possible measures,

including on cooperation. It expresses its determination, where appropriate and with the

support of the UN Security Council, to take all measures necessary against Burundian

parties whose actions might lead to a perpetuation of the violence and hamper the search

for a political solution. It stresses that there can be no impunity for those responsible for

serious human rights violations, who must be held criminally responsible."

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Relations with Uzbekistan

The Council adopted the EU position for the twelfth meeting of the EU-Uzbekistan Cooperation

Council in Brussels on 18 May 2015.

Relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council

The Council adopted the draft agenda for the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Council and

ministerial meeting, to be held on 24 May 2015 in Doha.

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