On 27 November 2023, a meeting of the heads of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of like-minded partner countries responsible for matters relating to Russia and Eastern Europe took place. Discussions focused on the trends and consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as developments in Russia, Belarus, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Participants discussed plans for closer coordination to maintain the level of support for Ukraine in the long term and encourage further pressure against Russia.
The meeting was attended by the heads responsible for matters relating to Russia and Eastern Europe at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“Our collective capacity to provide comprehensive and sustained military and non-military support to Ukraine is crucial to Ukraine’s path to victory. Ukraine’s integration into the European Union will strengthen its security and resilience, as well as contribute to regional stability and European economic growth,” said Director of the First Bilateral Relations Department, Uldis Mikuts.
Turning to the current situation in Belarus, the Directors were addressed by the Belarusian opposition leader and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who thanked them for their support to the Belarusian democratic movement and called for continued support to Belarusian civic activists abroad who have fled the country due to the repression of the Alexander Lukashenko regime. In particular, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed the need to strengthen the Belarusian national culture and language against Russification.
The participants discussed the hybrid threats posed by Russia and Belarus on the EU’s external border, in particular the use of migration as an instrument of influence. The countries’ representatives were pessimistic about Russia’s domestic political development, given Russia’s de facto transition to a wartime economy. The partners agreed on the need to continue to impose sanctions, but at the same time to perform more outreach both to the Russian diaspora abroad and, as far as possible, to people in Russia itself, demonstrating democratic alternatives to the so-called “Russian world”.
Participants discussed the progress of Moldova and Georgia towards integration into the European Union and the development of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of the stability of the South Caucasus region. Regarding the Central Asia region, the partners highlighted the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Central Asia in recent years, with the development of existing and new formats for high-level dialogues.
