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Borrell wraps up India tour

EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Thursday….reports Asian Lite News

The European Union, Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell concluded his visit to India on Friday, after his participation in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) and the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue.

On March 1, the European Union, Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell delivered a speech at the India-Europe Business and Sustainability Conclave. He also met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar where key issues such as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the global debt crisis were discussed, on the sidelines of the G20, the European Union said in a statement.
Josep Borrell participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Thursday. During the first session on strengthening multilateralism, he focused on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its global consequences on energy and food insecurity.

He also highlighted the importance of a stronger multilateralism system and a crucial need to speed up the green transition to address the existential threats of climate change and biodiversity loss globally.

During the second session on counter-terrorism and humanitarian action, the European Union, Foreign Policy chief focused on new threats enabled by technologies, highlighting the worrying use of disinformation and cyber malicious activities.0

He reiterated the importance of reacting, but also pre-empting these threats. He also set out the EU’s strong commitment as a humanitarian assistance provider around the world, from Yemen to Turkey, from the Darien Gap to Myanmar.

On Friday, Josep Borrell participated in a panel discussion at the eighth edition of the Raisina Dialogue under the title “The New High Table: Realigning the G20 in a changing world” where he stressed the need for multilateral solutions and the role that the G20 has to play.

He also exchanged views with a group of leading Indian women together with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, as France takes over the EU Gender Champion role in India for the next six months.

During his visit, European Union, Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell also had bilateral discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Singapore, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Armenia and Bangladesh. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Borrell lauds EU-India strategic ties

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Jaishankar meets Lavrov, Borrell ahead of G20 meet

India on Wednesday cleared its stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that “this isn’t an era of war.”

Ahead of the G20 Foreign Minister’s Meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell and Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.

“Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a meeting with Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar,” tweeted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Jaishankar will chair two sessions at the foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday.

“The first session will focus on multilateralism, and issues related to food and energy. The second session will focus on four or five key issues including new and emerging threats including counter-terrorism and narcotics, global skill mapping, and focus on global talent pools,” said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar said the conversation with Borell focused on the G20 agenda and the Ukraine conflict.

“Pleased to meet EU HRVP @JosepBorrellF before the #G20FMM tomorrow. Our conversation focused on the G20 agenda and the Ukraine conflict. Appreciated the steady growth of India-EU cooperation,” tweeted Jaishankar.

India on Wednesday cleared its stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that “this isn’t an era of war.”

Speaking at a special briefing on G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict is that ‘This isn’t an era of war’. Dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward. The agenda is for the foreign ministers to discuss in the meet.”

He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be an important point of discussion when the foreign ministers from around the world meet during Thursday’s Group of 20 (G20) gathering in New Delhi.

“Given the developing situation of Russia-Ukraine, naturally, it’ll be an important point of discussion during the Foreign Ministers Meeting. Foreign ministers will be focusing on the Russia-Ukraine situation, it’ll be important to what they come out with, what understanding is developed,” said Kwatra.

He further added, “Issues of the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the world including economic impact and impact on development will also be focused upon in the meeting.”

Jaishankar also met Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and underlined India’s strong commitment to the Global South and the interests of the African Union.

He also took up the MV Heroic Idun issue and pressed for the early repatriation of crew members.

“Good to meet FM @GeoffreyOnyeama of Nigeria this afternoon. Underlined India’s strong commitment to the Global South and the interests of the African Union. Noted recent developments in our bilateral cooperation, especially in educational exchanges. Welcomed direct flights between our two countries.

Took up the MV Heroic Idun issue and pressed for early repatriation of crew members,” tweeted Jaishankar.

Since August this year, 16 Indian sailors aboard oil tanker MT Heroic Idun have been in detention, first in Equatorial Guinea and now in Nigeria, for alleged oil theft, among other charges. (ANI)

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Putin’s nuclear threat must be taken seriously: EU

Vladimir Putin

Josep Borrell told the media that Putin’s assertion he was not bluffing had to be taken seriously, reports Asian Lite News

The EU must not ignore Vladimir Putin’s threats that he could use nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine, the bloc’s foreign policy chief has said, as per a media report.

Josep Borrell told the media that Putin’s assertion he was not bluffing had to be taken seriously.

His remarks come as Russia begins a partial mobilisation and moves to annex four regions of Ukraine.

Putin has faced setbacks on the battlefield, with his forces pushed back by a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Josep Borrell, The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

“Certainly it’s a dangerous moment because the Russian army has been pushed into a corner, and Putin’s reaction – threatening using nuclear arms – it’s very bad,” Borrell said.

Seven months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, analysts agree that President Putin’s forces are on the back foot, but he said a “diplomatic solution” must be reached, one that “preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

“Otherwise, we can finish the war, but we will not have peace, and we will have another war,” he said, BBC reported.

Putin said his country had “various weapons of destruction” and would “use all the means available to us,” adding: “I’m not bluffing”.

At the same time, the President announced the call-up of 300,000 Russians who have done compulsory military service, sparking protests and reports of people fleeing the country to avoid being sent to the front line.

Borrell dismissed concerns that the EU’s arms supplies were running low, and said it must continue providing military support to Ukraine, as well as applying economic sanctions against President Putin and his allies and conducting diplomatic activity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu. (Photo: Twitter@mod_russia)

He admitted that the rising cost of energy prices caused by the conflict was a matter of concern.

“People in my country tell me the price of the gas means we cannot continue working, we cannot continue making my business run,” the Spanish politician said, adding he had heard similar concerns from leaders from Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

ALSO READ: ‘We won’t rest until Ukraine defeats Russia’

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Borrell reiterates EU support for Ukraine

Joseph Borrell visits Ukraine Pic credits @JosepBorrellF

Borrell arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for a three-day working visit, his first foreign trip in 2022….reports Asian Lite News

Joseph Borrell visits Ukraine Pic credits @JosepBorrellF

 Visiting High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has reiterated the bloc’s support for Ukraine during his visit to the conflict-hit Luhansk region.

“We are here first to reaffirm the European Union’s full support of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Borrell told reporters during a media briefing.

The EU has been providing political, financial and economic support for Kiev, Borrell said, noting that the bloc’s Association Agreement with Ukraine is “the most comprehensive agreement it has with any other third country in the world”, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since 2014, the EU has provided Ukraine with over 17 billion euros ($19 billion) in assistance, the official said.

Speaking on the security situation along the Ukrainian borders, Borrell said that the EU is interested in de-escalating the tensions through negotiations and through a strong position on supporting Ukraine.

Borrell arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for a three-day working visit, his first foreign trip in 2022.

The comprehensive Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which includes a free trade deal and a broad range of legislation and regulation topics, came into force in 2017.

Since 2014, Luhansk region and its neighbouring Donetsk region have been the sites of a conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence rebels.

The confrontation has claimed some 14,000 lives and left 40,000 others wounded.

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Wall unlikely to settle migration crisis: Borrell

“Nowadays, there are more walls in Europe than in the epoch of the Berlin Wall. But migration problems will not be solved with them,” Borrell told the France24 broadcaster…reports Asian Lite News.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in an interview on Sunday that the migration crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border cannot be resolved with a wall.

Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have been urging the European Union to fund the construction of a wall at the Belarusian border as large groups of migrants have been gathering at the border with the EU in hope to cross over.

“Nowadays, there are more walls in Europe than in the epoch of the Berlin Wall. But migration problems will not be solved with them,” Borrell told the France24 broadcaster.

Within the past few weeks, thousands of migrants including women and children willing to enter the EU have arrived at the Polish-Belarusian border. Poland boosted border guard and deployed the military to the border region, accusing Minsk of facilitating the migration crisis. However, Belarus refuses all the allegations.

Meanwhile, Borrell announced on Sunday having discussed the humanitarian situation at the border between European Union and Belarus with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei.

Earlier in the day, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Makei had a phone conversation with the EU foreign policy chief, discussing “the difficult migration situation at the Belarus-EU border.”

“Spoke to #Belarus Foreign Minister Makei to raise the precarious humanitarian situation at the border with the EU. Peoples lives must be protected and humanitarian agencies allowed access. The current situation is unacceptable and must stop. People should not be used as weapons,” Borrell tweeted.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have been accusing Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis to get back at Brussels for sanctions against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. The Belarusian leader has rejected the accusations, saying his cash-strapped country can no longer afford tight border controls. (ANI/Sputnik)

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