On 26 November 2021, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs, took part in the meeting of state secretaries and secretaries general from the European Union Member States in Paris, France. France, which is assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union as from 1 January 2021, presented the priorities for its Presidency in the next half a year. The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States shared opinions on the measures to be taken in order to build the EU’s resilience in the face of crises and to strengthen its Common Security and Defence Policy.
In a discussion on the EU’s current strategic challenges and its perspective of defence and security, the participants reviewed the text of the Strategic Compass for the EU security and defence. The State Secretaries were in agreement that the proposed toolbox provides good grounds for a series of long-term solutions aimed at rendering Europe more resilient to various challenges and threats.
At the same time, Andris Pelšs pointed out that the separate instruments offered and their application should be included in the existing security and defence architecture. “We must assume realistic tasks and bear in mind that, for the EU to be a successful global player, a number of challenges should be addressed both within the EU and in the nearest neighbourhood.
Concerted action by EU Member States and institutions was also discussed, including coordination with third countries in response to developments at the EU’s border with Belarus, as well as the build-up of tension at the border between Russia and Ukraine. During the French Presidency, Andris Pelšs said, we expect the engagement of the presiding state and its support for the development and application of all the necessary tools aimed at defusing tension at the external borders of the Union.