site.btaSofia Informal Foreign Affairs Council: Western Balkans, Syria, Defence and Security

Sofia, February 16 (BTA) - An Informal Meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Sofia came to conclusion here Friday after discussions on the Western Balkans and their European perspective, the situation in Syria and the EU role in the efforts to start a political transition there, and cooperation in defence and security. Details of the discussions were made public at a joint news conference by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, in her capacity as chair of the meeting and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva as host.

Mogherini said that Friday morning the EU28 Foreign Ministers had a traditional exchange of views with the participation of the top diplomats of the candidate countries, this time focused on cooperation in the field of defence and security.
"It was a very positive and productive exchange with all the candidate countries that were present, in particular on the common work that we do and we want to increase, on the common challenges we have in the security field, in particular the fight against radicalization, the exchange of information about the return of foreign terrorist fighters but also common work in the EU missions and operations around the world," said Mogherini. She said it was also a good opportunity to update the candidate countries on the work being done within the EU on the European defence which is a very important element of the common work - and it is important for the candidate countries to be aware as they prepare for accession.

Mogherini said that the highlight of Thursday's discussions was the Western Balkans - "a top priority of the Bulgarian presidency and something we share," as she put it. She noted that it was the first opportunity for the ministers of EU28 to discuss the strategy on the Western Balkans that was presented last week in Strasbourg. She said that they had "a very positive discussion with the ministers where I saw a clear unity of purpose in the support for the work we are doing with the Bulgarian presidency to guarantee the perspective of a common future inside the EU with our partners in the region".

Dwelling on Syria, Mogherini said that the situation on the ground is deteriorating "even if it does not hit the headlines so often", and "the humanitarian situation is dramatic".
She said the EU is keeping the focus very strong on the conflict and on two key elements in the EU approach to it: the humanitarian support to Syrians both in Syria and in neighbouring countries (Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey), and, more importantly, the support for the UN-led political process in Geneva. "We see this as the only way to start a credible political transition in the country that can be the only basis for a Syria that is home for all Syrians, keeping a diversity of society and managing to consolidate the victories over DAESH that for the moment have been territorial, into ideological and social victories."

Mogherini said that the EU support continues to be vital for the Syrian opposition as they prepare for the talks in Geneva. "The EU is ready to mobilize its own resources and work with partners internationally to mobilize resources that will be needed both for early recovery and also for reconstruction in the future on condition that a political transition is firmly underway," she said. She was adamant that the EU sees no alternatives to the UN processes. "All roads need to lead to Geneva. Every effort need to feed into the UN-led process," she said.

Mogherini added that a EU-UN conference on Syria that will be held April 24-25 in Brussels will be an opportunity for the EU to mobilize both political support and humanitarian aid for Syrians.

Adding to what the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said, Ekaterina Zaharieva said that the Western Balkans is part of Europe and not its backyard, and that it is not in the interest of the Western Balkans or the EU itself to keep countries isolated from European integration.

Zaharieva also said that the strategy on the Western Balkans gives a chance to all countries in the region and a timeframe shows a report due in April for each country. "I hope that in June, at a EU Council, a decision will be made on starting talks with Skopje and Tirana," she said adding that she was encouraged by the Sofia debates and sees a real chance for this happening.

It also transpired from Zaharieva's remarks that some of the foreign ministers believes that setting a date for start of accession talks may be demotivating while others insist that a date should be set sooner rather than later. She said the EU ministers agree that it is best for the candidate countries to go together and not compete with one another.

Commenting the name talks between Skopje and Athens - even though it was not on the agenda of Sofia discussions, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said that she considers herself a realist and sees a political will on both sides for reaching a lasting solution and a chance for an agreement in the foreseeable future.

Mogherini said she was "realistically optimistic" about the resolution of some bilateral disputes among the Balkan countries, which is essential as they prepare for EU membership.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov was asked whether he sees a chance for his country to be set a date for start of accession talks during the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2018, and he said that would be "a great occasion for shared joy". "We want to do our best to see a political decision in June and do our best to convince Greece to become a part of a consensus for Macedonia. It will be great for Macedonia, for Bulgaria, for the Balkans and for Europe," he said.

Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is in charge of the European neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations, said, when asked about relations with Turkey, that Turkey understands that Europe is its most reliable neighbour and it is in its best interests to have good relations with it. He added that he sees signals to this effect but it is early to say, especially as regards rule of law, where things remain unchanged in Turkey.