EU foreign ministers meet informally in Bratislava
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
03.09.2016 08:53
Minister Witold Waszczykowski is taking part in a two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Gymnich format in Bratislava.
Photo: MSZ
On the first day, Friday, Minister Witold Waszczykowski spoke about the EU’s relations with Turkey and global strategy on foreign and security policy.
Waszczykowski also held talks about the situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk accords.
The Bratislava meeting is hosted by Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. The debate was led by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.
The most recent meeting in the Gymnich format was held in Amsterdam on 5 and 6 February 2016. Gymnich format meetings, traditionally held half-yearly during each EU presidency, are characterised by a free and deep exchange of views on issues of particular relevance to EU external relations. Gymnich meetings do not lead to agreeing on any formal decisions. The word Gymnich comes from the name of a castle near Bonn, which hosted the first talks of that type during the German presidency in 1974. (rg)