Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Petr Macinka attended the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels on Monday, March 16, 2026. The main topics of today’s discussion were the ongoing war in Ukraine and the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions, current developments in the Middle East, and the situation in the European Union’s southern neighborhood.
The discussion on Russian aggression against Ukraine was held with the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who joined the meeting via video conference. The ministers focused on the European Union’s further steps in response to the dispute between some EU member states, the strengthening of sanctions pressure on Russia, and issues related to the security situation in the region.
In connection with the blocked 20th sanctions package, the head of Czech diplomacy stated that the Czech Republic is ready to lead an international independent mission of energy experts to Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline with the aim of contributing to solving the problem of supply disruptions, which could soften the position of Slovakia and Hungary towards this package. “The only obstacle seems to be the unresolved dispute between Slovakia and Hungary on the one hand and Ukraine on the other regarding oil supplies, therefore we propose a solution in the form of an independent mission,” said Minister Macinka.
Another important topic was the situation in the Middle East and its impacts on European countries, especially in the areas of energy, maritime security and regional stability.
The program also included a working lunch with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, during which the ministers discussed the further development of relations between the European Union and India and the situation in the Middle East, in particular in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the sidelines of the talks, Minister Macinka also held a number of bilateral meetings. He held talks with his counterparts from Cyprus and Slovenia and also met with the foreign ministers of Austria and Slovakia in the Slavkov format (S3). In the S3 format, the ministers discussed the possibility of a joint trip to the Western Balkans and the coordination of further meetings with strategic partners such as France and India.
During his meeting with the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Petr Macinka, in addition to bilateral issues, praised the role of Cyprus as the current presidency of the Council of the European Union and the functioning of the evacuation system, which helps in the transfer of citizens from crisis areas in the Middle East.
