Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Foreign Affairs Council on Development convened, the first meeting in this context chaired by Kaya Kallas, Foreign Policy Coordinator. Ministers exchanged views on financing for development, ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled to be held from June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Seville, Spain.
According to a European statement distributed in Brussels, the ministers called for reform of the international financial architecture for development and emphasized the urgent need for the full implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
This conference will focus on new and emerging issues in a rapidly changing global environment characterized by rising geopolitical tensions, exacerbated by cuts in US foreign aid, which have placed significant pressure on global development financing.
The statement quoted Kaya Kallas as saying, "The European Union is committed to remaining a reliable partner in international development, with a particular focus on ensuring that no one is left behind in the global quest for sustainable prosperity. The conclusions adopted today underline the EU's role in building a fairer and more inclusive global financial system."
EU-Africa Relations
The Council also exchanged views on EU-Africa relations, following up on the successful third EU-AU Ministerial Meeting held on 21 May 2025.
The ministers discussed ways to strengthen the EU's partnership with Africa and the need to define concrete outcomes ahead of the 7th AU-EU Summit scheduled for later this year. They emphasized the importance of increasing the visibility of EU investments in Africa, in particular the Global Gateway projects, exploring ways to deepen European-African consensus in multilateral fora, and strengthening joint action on global issues. Ukraine
Regarding the current situation, the Council also reviewed recent developments related to Ukraine and the Ukraine Plan, and discussed how to ensure coordinated support from Team Europe.
High Representative Callas emphasized that humanitarian needs remain enormous, including for housing and energy. April 2025 was one of the deadliest months for civilians since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Member States and the Commission have provided a total of €4.2 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since 2022, of which the Commission has contributed €1.1 billion. More than 155,000 tons of aid have been shipped from UCPM logistics centers to Ukraine. External Action Beyond 2027
The ministers exchanged views on external action beyond 2027 during an informal lunch, focusing on various elements such as ensuring the EU remains a reliable and credible partner, striking the right balance between predictability and flexibility, ensuring that the EU's external action is consistent and serves its political priorities and strategic interests, and continuing support for Ukraine.
Among other items, the ministers were briefed on the outcomes of the Nutrition for Growth Summit, held in Paris on 27 and 28 March 2025, aimed at coordinating efforts to eradicate malnutrition. The ministers were also informed of a letter delivered by some of their colleagues on strengthening the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing the Global Gateway Strategy.