Lipavský to attend EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Copenhagen

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský will take part in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on Friday. According to the ministry, the two-day consultations will focus on continued support for Ukraine, including the necessity to provide the country with strong security guarantees. Ministers will also discuss ways to step up pressure on Russia to engage in negotiations, including through further sanctions.

The European Commission is presently working on a new, 19th package of sanctions against Russia, expected to be unveiled in early September. Czechia is pushing for the latest sanctions to include a proposal to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area. The Czech government also wants the EU to accept only biometric passports, which are harder to forge or link to false identities.

The meeting in Copenhagen will also address the situation in the Middle East and practical issues related to the EU’s common foreign and security policy.