NATO – Participation of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in the Foreign Ministers Meeting (Brussels, 6-7 Apr. 2022)

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs will attend the meeting of NATO foreign ministers on April 6 and 7 in Brussels.

This meeting will offer an opportunity to reaffirm the Allies’ unity and solidarity in the face of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, as well as their determination to protection NATO territory.

The Minister will underscore the importance of getting Russia to declare a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory. He will reiterate France’s commitment to supporting the allies and partners who are the most exposed to Russia’s actions, notably through French contributions to strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in Romania and Estonia. The Ministers will discuss the necessary adaptation of this deterrence and defense posture to changes in the strategic context.

The meeting will offer the ministers an opportunity to define their approaches to updating the Strategic Concept, a key NATO document, which the heads of State and government will adopt at the next NATO summit in Madrid on June 29 and 30. In this regard, the Minister will emphasize the importance of close coordination between NATO’s Strategic Concept and the Strategic Compass recently adopted by the EU, as well as the importance of strengthening cooperation between the EU and NATO. Lastly, the ministerial meeting will discuss with NATO’s main partners the means of preserving a rules-based international order at a time of heightened strategic confrontation.

On the sidelines of the NATO meeting, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs will take part in a meeting of G7 foreign ministers. The question of strengthening sanctions will be discussed in connection with EU discussions relating to the imperative need to adopt new measures as soon as possible.

He will also meet with several of his counterparts to discuss the war in Ukraine and its consequences, as well as the urgent, vital need to finalize negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue.