To resolve the Ukrainian crisis the support of the road map leading to the application of the Geneva agreement is necessary. The second long-term “challenge” is the relationship with Russia. These were two issues discussed by Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini during the Council of Foreign Ministers in Brussels yesterday, 12 May 2014. Other issues addressed were immigration and the loss of lives in the Mediterranean, and the schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria.
Ukrainian crisis
The first goal, explained Minister Mogherini, is to restore minimum standards of mutual trust between Ukraine and it neighbours. The second, long-term challenge is the relationship with Russia, “because some people think that we’ve lost Moscow and that nothing good can be expected from a partnership with the EU. And others, like Italy, believe that Moscow must be a responsible actor on the world stage”. Mogherini underscored that “there is no alternative, first and foremost for the Ukrainians, to dialogue with neighbouring countries”.
The Conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council state that “The EU will not recognise yesterday’s nor any future illegitimate and illegal ‘referenda’. […] The EU strongly supports the holding of free and fair Ukrainian Presidential elections on 25 May […] and encourages the presidential candidates to agree on a compact on electoral conduct”. This would allow a fair campaign across the whole country and ensure that voting is unimpeded.
Refugees: the priority is to save human lives
The Foreign Ministers also discussed the refugee situation, and the loss of lives when boats carrying migrants sink in the Mediterranean. “The episodes that we have seen and continue to see are not sustainable. They cannot happen”, stated Minister Mogherini. These dramatic events serve to remind us that the priority is to save human lives. In this task, she observed, “we must be supported by the European Union, and our colleagues know that too”.
The Minister noted that “there is an awareness that the question does not just concern Italy or the southern Mediterranean countries. It is a moral duty for all of us, as human beings, to ensure that people do not die in the Mediterranean”. She expressed the hope that the June Summit will provide some initial answers and underscored that the Italian EU Presidency will focus on this issue.
Shared management of refugee problem
“We in Italy know that we must continue to save lives”, continued Minister Mogherini. “That is the task of Mare Nostrum, as well as combating the trafficking in human beings. But it’s like emptying the sea with a teaspoon. We need a sustainable medium- and long-term system both for rescues at sea and for reception facilities”. Managing this problem is a responsibility that we must address along with all the other European countries, because the borders are not Italian, they are European. “We are committed”, concluded the Minister, “to sharing this reasoning and these responsibilities, and the related operations, with the other countries of the European Union”.
EU calls for immediate release of school girls schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria
Minister Mogherini’s appeal was taken up by Europe, which called for the immediate and unconditional release of the school girls abducted in Nigeria. In the Council Conclusions, the EU foreign ministers also called “for those responsible to be brought to justice. The European Union and its Member States offer their support to Nigeria in the resolution of this despicable crime and its ongoing efforts to protect its citizens and defeat terrorism. The EU will work to end the culture of impunity for the use of sexual violence both as a tool and a side effect of conflict worldwide”.
