In an informal meeting of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council in the development configuration, which addressed the resilience of partner countries, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, underlined that security threats posed by Russia at the EU borders are real and targeted efforts must be made to strengthen the resilience and security in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood.
“Latvia’s priority is to continue all possible support to Ukraine, including the promotion of societal resilience and making the Ukrainian people stronger. We must make further investment in the reconstruction of social infrastructure, rehabilitation and psycho-emotional support services, as well as in the reform of Ukraine’s public administration on its EU integration course. It is noteworthy that last year, 35% of bilateral development cooperation funding administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was channelled in support of Ukraine,” Dace Melbārde emphasised.
The meeting took place on 10–11 February 2025 in Warsaw, Poland. One of the main agenda points was the EU’s support for resilience of its partner countries.
In an exchange on development cooperation issues, Dace Melbārde noted: “The EU must make every effort to provide support to the most vulnerable groups of society and continue in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. In cooperation with the new U.S. administration and global partners, the EU must develop a positive and pragmatic attitude and focus on common interests.”
The meeting also addressed the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, which aims at boosting smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and strengthening health, education and research systems across the world.
Background information
- The EU Foreign Affairs Council in its development configuration addresses topics related to development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. This was the first session of the Foreign Affairs Council bringing together development ministers since 1 December 2024 when the new EU institutional cycle began.
- More about the Global Gateway strategy: Global Gateway - European Commission
