<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will participate this coming Thursday, November 20, in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which will address the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the crisis in the Sahel, and the war in Sudan.</strong></h4> The FAC will meet in Brussels under the chairmanship of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. During the session, according to the EU, EU foreign ministers will discuss Russia's aggression against Ukraine, following an informal exchange of views with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha. The previous FAC, held on October 20, also included a speech by Andrii Sybiha and assessed new ways to intensify pressure on Moscow, including the preparation of the nineteenth sanctions package. Three days later, the European Council approved the nineteenth sanctions package and stressed the importance of greater coordination with G7 partners when imposing sanctions and strengthening measures against circumvention. Likewise, the Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the situation in the Middle East “in light of recent developments.” At the previous European Council meeting, held on October 20, a week after the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Albares warned of the need to “maintain sanctions against Israel at this time,” because “we have not yet achieved much in relation to the objectives we had set.” Three days later, Pedro Sánchez presented four proposals to the European Council regarding the Middle East: maintaining pressure on the parties and not reducing sanctions on Israel until the agreement is fulfilled; guaranteeing the massive arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza; establishing a Community strategy for security in the Gaza Strip; and supporting the Palestinian Authority to enable governance and reconstruction. At that same European Council meeting, the leaders of the 27 welcomed the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, applauded the diplomatic efforts led by the United States and the regional mediators, and called on all parties to fully commit to implementing all phases and to refrain from any actions that could jeopardize the agreement. The European Economic and Social Council (EEC) will also address the crisis in the Sahel and the situation in Sudan. On November 11, the European Commission and the foreign ministers of some 30 countries (20 of them EU members: Spain, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, and Romania) condemned “the war crimes and crimes against humanity” perpetrated in Sudan and called for “a broad and inclusive political process, led by the Sudanese themselves.” Furthermore, under “other business,” the EU-ASEAN Council will be briefed on the Mediterranean Union and Belarus’s hybrid attacks against member states. On the sidelines of the meeting, an informal luncheon on EU-ASEAN relations will be held, followed by the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, which will begin in the afternoon, with a ministerial meeting scheduled for November 21.
