On 18 October 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, took part in the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, at which EU Foreign Ministers discussed the state of affairs in the Gulf countries, the Eastern Partnership, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua. In view of developments since 15 September 2021, when Taliban took actual power in the country, and the urgency of the issue on the EU’s agenda, opinions were also shared on the situation in Afghanistan.
The ministers also discussed preparations for the sixth summit of the Eastern Partnership scheduled for 15–16 December in Brussels. The summit will focus on the future of the Eastern Partnership. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed support for expanding cooperation with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, including through the perspective of a gradual integration into the EU’s internal market and a deeper cooperation in the security sector. Strengthening of resilience must be the key task of the future Eastern Partnership policy, especially against disinformation and in the field of security, Edgars Rinkēvičs emphasised.
In a discussion on the sanctions policy against the Belarusian regime, Edgars Rinkēvičs voiced an opinion that the EU should continue to put pressure on Belarus and prepare the fifth round of sanctions. Unless the situation at the external borders of the EU improves, our message should remain clear – sanctions against Belarus will be increased, including against the Belarusian national airlines, Belavia, and other Belarusian legal entities involved in the hybrid operation deployed by Belarus, the Latvian Foreign Minister noted. We also rely on the European Commission’s support in the fight against disinformation originating from Belarus in relation to the situation at the EU’s external border, Edgars Rinkēvičs underlined.