By Muhammad Sohail
The last regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of the year took place in Brussels on Monday, December 16, 2024. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský discussed with his EU counterparts the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in Georgia, the Middle East and Belarus, and discussed making the EU’s foreign policy more effective.
The minister’s program began with an informal meeting, where leaders of EU diplomacy discussed with the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, about making the common European foreign policy more effective.
The point on Russian aggression against Ukraine was traditionally opened by the speech of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who informed about the situation on the battlefield via video conference. ” I have not noticed that the Russians want to act at all. The Russians are not acting, they do not need to act, because they just need to attack and occupy more territory. This means that we must continue to support Ukraine so that it can defend itself against these attacks, ” Minister Lipavský said after the end of Monday’s council. He also appealed for the unblocking of military support to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility (EPF), which is crucial given the situation on the front.
Under the item on developments in Georgia, ministers discussed the EU’s response to developments in the country, including the suppression of democratic protests. Minister Lipavský spoke in favor of sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations and further support for civil society in the country.
Another point of discussion was the situation in the Middle East. The European Union must also play a proactive diplomatic role in Syria. Czech diplomats will return to Damascus as soon as the situation allows. The ministers at the Council also welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and agreed to support the Lebanese army and security forces in stabilising the country.
