On 20 July 2023, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andris Pelšs, took part in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Brussels. The Council addressed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the relations between the EU and Turkey, and the external dimension of the EU’s economic security.
The meeting also included an exchange via videoconference with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on cooperation between the EU and the United States on security and defence policy. Further on, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, via videoconference, briefed the ministers on latest developments.
The meeting placed a special focus on the EU’s all-embracing contribution to the security and resilience of Ukraine in the long term. The EU must ensure military assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces as long as it takes, the State Secretary noted, while pointing out that therefore the EU should agree on a sustainable financial solution, including support to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility.
Andris Pelšs underlined the importance of regular dialogue with the United States, calling for close coordination on foreign and security policy issues, in particular a continued support to Ukraine.
During the Foreign Affairs Council, Andris Pelšs also took part in an informal exchange of views with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, which featured a discussion on the global state of human rights.
Photo: European Union