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Good morning.  

We are going to discuss a lot about the situation in Ukraine. The important thing is that today, it is going to be definitively approved, the €2 billion more for the European Peace Facility (EPF), [also] to increase our support to Ukraine. 

Then, the situation in the Western Balkans. 

[First,] Bosnia and Herzegovina. I hope they will agree on granting the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I strongly support that. It will be a good occasion for the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina to push for the reforms. This is the occasion for Bosnia and Herzegovina to really embark on the European path, to be granted the status of candidate. It is a very important step for Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the whole region. 

You know that, in the last days, we have been facing big troubles in north of Kosovo. I sent Miroslav Lajčák, our Special Representative [for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue] to the region – both to Pristina and Belgrade – just after the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.  

I will debrief the leaders on the situation and ask [everyone in the region] to calm down the situation and to go back to the Dialogue – which is the only way for the European perspective of Kosovo and Serbia. It is absolutely important that this kind of troubles stop, the barricades [are] lifted, [to] go back to calm, and go back to discussions - the discussion about the proposal that we put on the table, in order to look for a coherent and permanent solution to the tensions between Pristina and Belgrade. 

Q&A 

Q. The corruption scandal in the European Parliament, will that affect European reputation abroad, are you worried about that? 

About that issue, I think the best thing to do is to let the judiciary and the police continue doing their work. It is a very serious issue, we take this very seriously. It is a disgrace what is happening, it is very grave – but let the judiciary work. We live in a political system in which we have an independent judiciary who is able to take measures. Let the prosecutor, the judges, and the police work. 

Q. On the new sanctions package, do you expect an agreement in the next few hours because there are two countries still discussing over issues like food security? Or is it something that could be prolonged?  

Well, I do not think the agreement will come from this meeting. They will have to continue working at the level of the Coreper. 

Q. Mr Borrell, what have you done to prevent Turkish attacks on the Kurdish area in Syria? What have you done to prevent [that]? 

Certainly, the situation in Syria is becoming – once again – very bad, very grave. We call on all parties to restraint, we are following the situation, but certainly [this] is not in the agenda of the meeting today, no. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-235306