Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon MP, and the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep
Borrell, met today ahead of attending the EU Foreign Affairs
Council to exchange views with EU Foreign Affairs Ministers on
shared security challenges facing Europe.
The Foreign Secretary and the High Representative reiterated
their ironclad commitment to maintain support to Ukraine as it
defends its freedom and sovereignty against Russian aggression;
and their condemnation of third-country support to Russia's
military.
They shared their deep concern about spiralling violence in the
Middle East and call for an immediate ceasefire across the
Israel-Lebanon border; and in Gaza for the release of all
hostages, unhindered access for humanitarian aid and renewed
focus on a two-State solution. They underline their
unwavering support to UNIFIL's role. It is vital that
peacekeepers and civilians are protected. They fully support
UNIFIL's work in South Lebanon, which is mandated in UN
Resolution 1701.
They condemn Iranian attacks on Israel and its supply of
ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine and are
committed to sanction Iran's regime on that account.
In the light of a difficult geopolitical context, the High
Representative and the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the
importance of the relationship between the European Union and the
United Kingdom for European security and defence and agreed to
advance work towards a security partnership to address common
threats and challenges.
They underlined the importance and value of regular exchanges and
the need for the EU and the UK to stand together as close
partners in security and defence. High Representative Borrell and
UK Foreign Secretary Lammy agreed during their meeting that the
UK and EU will establish a six-monthly Foreign Policy
Dialogue between the UK Foreign Secretary and the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs, to enable strategic
cooperation on the highest priority issues and first meeting in
early 2025. In addition, they also agreed to a number
of regular UK-EU strategic consultations to sit underneath this
on Russia/Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, the Western Balkans and
Hybrid threats.
In the face of an increasingly volatile and unstable world, the
time is right for friends to stand together in partnership and
work together on our shared foreign policy and security
challenges.
