The Diplomat in Spain

Serrano de Haro and Alvargonzález./ Photos: European Council and MoD

The Diplomat. 19/06/2017

The Foreign Affairs Council of the EU is meeting today in Luxembourg with an agenda busier than usual, which will include the EU Global Strategy, the fight against terrorism, migrations, the crisis in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and cooperation with NATO, a question in which two Spaniards play a very outstanding role on both sides of the negotiations: Pedro Serrano de Haro on the EU’s side and Alejandro Alvargonzález on the Alliance’s side.

The Council, which will be attended by the Minister Alfonso Dastis, will go over the application of the EU Global Strategy almost one year after its presentation by the High Representative, Federica Mogherini. Throughout this period, according to diplomatic sources, the progress made in security and defence matters is quite significant, and the objective is to keep moving forward in aspects such as development and resilience of the EU facing crises and conflicts.

Besides, the Foreign Ministers will talk about the fight against terrorism and will assess the results of the Association Agreement on Migration, adopted one year ago, which consisted of specific agreements with five African countries of origin and transit that, until now and except for Niger, have produced little results.

The evolution in Iraq, and especially the almost imminent expulsion of Daesh from Mosul, will be another strong point, with special emphasis on the double process of recovery of stability and reconciliation.

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Foreign Affairs Council tackles a busy agenda on global strategy, terrorism, NATO, Qatar and Iraq

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Besides, the Foreign Ministers will review the current diplomatic crisis in the region of the Gulf and will listen to Mogherini’s conclusions after her recent meeting with Qatar’s Foreign Minister. Both the EU and Dastis think that Europe must not take any stance in this contentious and it must limit to defend dialogue and mediation, preferably Arab, to get out of the crisis.

The Council will also address cooperation between the EU and NATO from a joint report presented by Mogherini and NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who will be present in Luxemburg. The framework of this debate is the document of joint action approved in July 2016 in the summit of the Alliance of Warsaw and the subsequent adoption of a plan of action both by the European Council of December and by the Atlantic Council.

Sources of the Foreign Ministry have pointed out the “leading role” played by the two Spaniards in these negotiations: Alejandro Alvargonzález, number three of the Alliance as deputy secretary general for Political and Security Affairs, and Pedro Serrano de Haro, vice-secretary general in the European External Action Service and in charge of Common Security and Defence Policy in the team of Federica Mogherini.