Minister Rau called on the Council to immediately adopt sanctions against the individuals responsible for rigging the elections and for the brutal repressions against the peaceful demonstrators in Belarus. He also highlighted the need to work out a long-term economic support proposal for future democratic Belarus. He also found it necessary to voice firm opposition to third countries’ possible attempts at influencing the situation in Belarus and pointed out Russia’s illegal hybrid activities, including misinformation.

During the Foreign Affairs Council session, the ministers discussed, among others, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. Minister Rau condemned the assassination attempt on the Russian opposition leader and spoke in favour of enhanced EU activity to encourage Russia’s observance of human rights. In the context of blatant violation of the international law, i.e. the use of a chemical weapon, Minister Rau underlined that the EU’s relations with Russia should be reconsidered, also in the area of energy cooperation between some EU member states and Russia. The chief of Polish diplomacy highlighted that the Nord Stream 2 project is contrary to the EU’s security interests and should be halted.

During the debate on Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Minister Rau supported the mediation efforts of the President of the European Council Charles Michel, High Representative Josep Borell and the German presidency.

The ministers also discussed the situation in Libya in the context of a ceasefire of 21 August 2020. All participants agreed that the EU should actively support rapprochement between the sides of the conflict.

In the view of the future EU-African Union summit, the ministers focused on priority cooperation areas – combating COVID-19 and recovering from the economic crisis. Attention was also drawn to the challenges and opportunities of ecological and digital transformation and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The ministers also discussed the situation in the EU’s southern neighbourhood. Minister Rau recalled Poland’s commitment to support the region’s countries, among others, by taking part in the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI mission by the coast of Libya and the UNFIL mission in Lebanon and providing humanitarian aid to refugees from Syria and development assistance for Libya, Jordan and Iraqi Kurdistan. He also underscored the necessity of the EU’s balanced engagement in both eastern and southern geographical dimensions of our neighbourhood.

During his visit to Brussels, Minister Zbigniew Rau met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. They talked about NATO’s relations with Russia and Belarus, and the NATO summit scheduled for 2021. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Office

Photo: Tymon Markowski / MFA