The foreign ministers of the EU member states at informal talks in Riga on Friday stressed the need to continue the talks with Moscow and Kyiv on energy and trade issues, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini said.
“We also shared the need to continue our European Union exercise of trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine both on energy issues and on the trade issues, in particular the implementation of the trade part of the Association Agreement,” she said at a press conference in Riga on Friday.
Mogherini also said that the EU countries are united in their assessment of the events in Ukraine and relations with Russia.
“We are united on any single action we do, vis à vis Russia, vis à vis the situation in Ukraine,” the EU diplomacy chief said.
Mogherini recalled that the EU countries passed a joint decision as regards the introduction of sanctions in connection with the events in Ukraine and warned that more sanctions can be imposed if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates.
“But we are all very much aware of the fact that this is part of our joint strength, be it when we adopt the sanctions, as it has been in the past and it could be in the future if the situation deteriorates,” she said.
The foreign ministers of the EU member states also focused on how they can facilitate the implementation of the Minsk agreements in Ukraine.
“Today we focused mainly on the way in which the European Union can support the implementation of the Minsk agreements, starting from the strengthening of the OSCE mission,” Mogherini said.
