Check against delivery! 

Good morning, everybody. 

We have a very extensive Foreign Affairs Council today. 

We already had a breakfast discussing Iran, but of course, we will discuss this further. So, Ministers are very much focused on the diplomatic solution. Also, the concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge, especially the closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that it would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody. 

Of course, we are discussing the Middle East in a broader sense – also Gaza and Article Two of the Association Agreement with Israel. We have done the review, the review is ready. All the Member States have it, and we will discuss it further what to read out of this, and what will we do with this.  

But already at 9:30 we have Minister Sybiha here, we are discussing Ukraine. Of course, while all eyes are on what is happening in Iran and in Middle East, there are people dying in Kyiv, because Russia is keeping the bombs and bombing Ukraine every single day.  

We have to keep up the pressure on Russia. That is why we are pushing for the 18^th package of sanctions. Also, we have to give the military support to Ukraine. I am happy to tell you that 80% of the ammunition initiative has already been pledged, but of course we have to do more to have for this year the 2 million rounds initiative fulfilled. 

And then we will also have a discussion on China. So, it will be a first discussion focused on the security issues – ministers-only – to have a broader perspective on how does that all fit into the picture.  

So, as you can see a lot of important topics today, a lot of substance.  

Q&A. 

Q. [inaudible] 

The European Union has always been in favour of diplomacy. We had talks with the Iranian minister on Friday, and there Iran was opening up to discuss also the nuclear topic, but also broader security issues that are concerning Europe. So definitely, we have to keep this ongoing, because in the end, there has to be a diplomatic solution, to have a long-term perspective on this. 

Q. [inaudible] 

No, it was very important that we do this outreach. We have done this before. Europe has a very concrete role, because we also have the snapback from the JCPOA incoming, the deadlines are approaching. So, if you look back, then Europe has always had a role and when Iran is willing to talk to us, I think we have to use this opportunity. 

Q. [inaudible]. On the nuclear programme, what is your next step?

In the JCPOA, we have the obligations in place. And of course, there in the JCPOA, the snapback mechanism, which is to put all the sanctions back if there is no improvement. And, of course, that means Iran's economy is not really doing well. It is not good for the Iranian people. So, definitely, if on the nuclear programme, something that everybody agrees on is that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon, we have to work towards that. 

Q. [inaudible]. On Georgia, what is your estimation for the recent situation that we see worsening everyday? 

Yes. We will discuss Georgia as well today. And, of course, like you say, the situation is worsening, and we see many developments. I will again put on the table the sanctions regarding those people who are conducting violence and human rights violations in Georgia. And we are also discussing what more can we do, because Georgia is not on the right track. 

Q. Is visa [inaudible] also in the agenda as one of the tools?

Well, we are not discussing this in detail today, but yes, it's one of the tools. 

Q. On Article Two review, what will happen if Article 2 is not respected? What will happen, will you take the next step, will the EU take the next step, or will it be the Member States?  

We are discussing this today. The Article 2 review is there. Member States have it, so the conclusions are also there. We will discuss this today. Israel sent their own responses, so Member States also have that. So, it is clear that there is a broader discussion. And then, of course, the discussion is, what more can we do? What can we do with these further steps.  

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-274210