EU Foreign Ministers address hybrid threats days after blackout

Eduardo González EU Foreign ministers will discuss, among other issues, developing European resilience to hybrid threats in Warsaw this week, days after the widespread power outage in Spain and Portugal highlighted the need to protect critical infrastructure from potential cyberattacks. On May 7 and 8, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas will host an informal Gymnich meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. Gymnich meetings have been held regularly since 1974, once every six months. As informal meetings, they represent an opportunity "for more open debate and reflection on strategic issues," as the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union noted. The meeting will begin with an initial working session on EU relations with the United Kingdom, attended by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. On April 24, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in London that the European Union and the United Kingdom are working on a bilateral strategic agreement on security and defense with the aim of strengthening cooperation in an international context marked by common challenges. The parties also discussed energy cooperation, focusing on the potential of the North Sea as a source of clean energy, and reiterated their commitment to fulfilling international obligations on migration. The meeting in London was part of the preparations for the next bilateral summit, scheduled for May 19, which is expected to consolidate cooperation based on shared values and coordination in the face of global challenges. Following this debate on the United Kingdom, the foreign ministers will hold two more informal discussions on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and on EU relations with the United States. Press statements are also planned upon arrival at the venue by the foreign ministers of the EU candidate and potential candidate countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Kosovo. The meeting will continue with an informal working lunch to discuss the challenges of European foreign and security policy, particularly building resilience to hybrid threats. The foreign ministers of the selected candidate and potential candidate countries have been invited to attend this lunch and debate. The debate will take place more than a week after the massive blackout suffered by Spain and Portugal on April 28th. Regardless of its true causes, it has highlighted the importance of ensuring security and critical infrastructure against potential cyberattacks.

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