EU General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils discuss terrorism and gun trafficking
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will participate in the EU General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils (GAC/FAC) on Monday and Tuesday, 14 and 15 December, respectively, in Brussels.
The FAC proceedings started today [Dec-14] with the Foreign Ministers discussing Eastern Partnership issues, such as the EU’s free trade area with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
In the wake of the recent terrorists attacks on Paris, discussion will also focus on the EU strategy for combating terrorism, particularly through severing the international funding flows of the terrorist organizations and breaking up illegal gun trafficking networks, as well as through optimal exchange of information between member states.
The FAC will also look at the recent developments in Libya and Iraq, in light of the efforts being made towards further stabilization of these countries, while an unofficial dinner of Foreign Minister will take place on the margins of the FAC, with the participation of the Turkish Foreign Minister.
At the GAC, tomorrow [Dec-15], Foreign Minister Kotzias will present Greece’s positions on the European perspectives of Turkey and the countries of the Western Balkans, during the discussion on the adoption of the Conclusions of the Council on Enlargement and the Stabilization and Association Process.
Ahead of the December meeting of the European Council, the GAC will elaborate the text of the Summit Conclusions and discuss the next stages for the integration and deepening of the EMU. Finally, the Council will discuss the Interinstitutional Agreement on improvement of the EU’s legislative process and mark the beginning of the new European Semester with a presentation, by the European Commission, of the Annual growth survey for 2016.
