S/PV.7935 Security Council

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Her Excellency Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I now give the floor to Ms. Mogherini.

It is a great honour for me to speak once again before the Security Council. (spoke in English) It is an honour to address the Security Council once again and to do so on a very symbolic day. Today, 9 May, is Europe Day, when the European Union celebrates being one and united. Sixty-seven years ago on this very day, the French statesman Robert Schumann put forward an idea that was revolutionary for those times — that European States could share part of their sovereignty to prevent any future war in Europe. After thousands of years of European wars, two World Wars, the most devastating conflicts in human history, had started in Europe and spread to the whole planet. Our founding fathers and mothers imagined a renewed European continent — a continent that, instead of exporting war, would promote peace, democracy and human development within its borders and in the world. Seven years later, the union took its first steps, and this year we celebrate 60 years of our European Union — when Europeans simply realized that it was by far more convenient for all of us to cooperate instead of fighting each other, and when they chose cooperation over confrontation, building over these 60 years the most successful peace project in human history. It is therefore really not only a pleasure but an honour for me to celebrate this historic day with the United Nations and the Security Council. Let me say that in recent months some believed that our sixtieth anniversary would also mark the beginning of the end for the European Union and the beginning of its decline. Indeed, our British friends have decided to leave us, which is very sad for all of us. But life goes on, and the European Union goes on as well. Since the United Kingdom referendum last year, we Europeans have recommitted to be the strong and united power that our citizens and our partners need and deserve. The European Union is, and will continue to be, the reliable cooperative partner  — I would say the indispensable partner—the world needs. First and foremost, we will remain an indispensable partner for our neighbours and our region. Let me start with the Balkans. With our support and constant cooperation with the United Nations, our friends in the Balkans have taken impressive steps forward, even at times in the most difficult and terrible of circumstances: steps forward towards peace and regional cooperation, economic growth and the European Union. One thing is clear. The future of our Union will not be at 27; we will have new members joining our Union in the future, starting from the Balkans. (spoke in French) Beyond our continent, we are an indispensable partner for a more cooperative, multilateral and peaceful world. We are an indispensable partner for the United Nations and of all those that believe multilateralism is key to a world order that works. In celebrating our sixtieth anniversary, the Secretary-General stated that: “In this time of global division, the vision provided by the European Union of cooperation and integration is more important than ever”. (spoke in English) I would therefore like to begin with our vision. It is what we call the European way — the European way to peace and security, the European way to growth and sustainable development, the European way to international relations. This European way is also the United Nations way. And that explains why all our actions and initiatives are always taken in full coordination and partnership with the United Nations. We believe in the United Nations because we believe in the same principles and values, and all communities are built upon the same fundamental ideals. First of all, we believe that security is not only about military might. It is about finding common ground, cooperation over confrontation, and diplomacy. It is about human development and economic growth. It is about democracy, the rule of law and human rights. When António Guterres highlights the importance of conflict prevention and mediation, his words resonate with the European way to security, and in particular with the European Union Global Strategy and our integrated approach to conflict and crisis. When one reads the Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security, or on youth, peace and security, the rationale is the same as in our own work to strengthen resilience inside and around Europe. As Europeans, we are turning those concepts into practice each and every day. When a peace deal was announced between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the European Union was there to help open a path from peace to full reconciliation. We have some European experiences in that vein. When President Juan Manuel Santos went to Europe to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, he came to us at the European Union in Brussels straight from Oslo and Stockholm. Together we signed a document on a European trust fund that today is helping Colombia reap the economic dividends of peace. I understand that the Council was able to witness our work for itself, it having just returned from a field visit to Colombia. Take another example. Just one month ago in Brussels we convened, together with Secretary- General Guterres, the European Union Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region. Our primary goal was, and still is, to address the urgency and dramatic humanitarian situation faced by Syrians, both inside and outside of their country, and to support host communities. In addition, in the difficult hours after the chemical attack in Idlib province, we also worked together with the United Nations and with most Council members to strengthen the world’s support to the United Nations-led negotiations in Geneva and to a political solution. Yesterday I spoke with Staffan de Mistura, as I often do, to coordinate the United Nations and European Union work on Syria. We are extremely supportive of his decision to resume intra-Syrian political talks in Geneva as of next week. The European Union is, and will continue to be, actively and strongly engaged and committed in supporting the United Nations-led political process with all our means and determination. As we did at the Brussels Conference, we have also prepared the ground for the international community to start looking into the post-war reconstruction of Syria. It is clear for us that reconstruction will begin only when a political transition is under way and a political agreement is achieved in Geneva. But we have lost the peace too many times not to have learned a lesson. We believe that, once the war is over, we will need collectively to invest in reconciliation, stabilization and the reconstruction of the country. That will be powerful leverage for peace and a dividend of peace for Syrians and for the region at large. On each of those strands of work, the international community will have to preserve a fragile unity in Syria. The Council knows that better than anyone else. To that end, the European Union is determined to continue mobilizing all its resources in support of the work of the United Nations to put an end to this war. That is the European way: addressing the urgency and the long-term humanitarian the security and diplomatic needs at the same time. Moving from one continent to another, the same approach shaped the Brussels conference for the Central African Republic, which we organized together with United Nations and which I chaired along with President Faustin Archange Touadéra. We managed to mobilize more than €2 billion in support of the Government’s priorities. Now it is time to implement those pledges. The European Union is not only the largest donor, we are also present on the ground with our military training mission, working in close cooperation with United Nations forces, as we do everywhere we are present. By the way, having mentioned the need to implement the pledges, the European Union is always the international player that implements all the pledges it makes. The European Union is also increasingly active as a security provider worldwide. Our member States contribute almost 40 per cent of the United Nations peacekeeping budget, collectively making us the largest contributor. In addition to that, the European Union’s 15 military and civilian operations worldwide work in constant cooperation with the United Nations. Let me just mention Operation Sophia, off the coast of Libya, which the Security Council has twice endorsed with a certain degree of unity, for which I would like to thank members. The tasks of European Union military operations today include not only dismantling the networks of smugglers operating off the coast of Libya; we have also completed the training of the first group of Libyan coast guard personnel. I myself was honoured to hand out the diplomas to participants, in quite a moving ceremony on the flagship of Operation Sophia in Malta. We also delivered to them the first motorboats, so that the security of the territorial waters can be in their hands. And, as mandated by the Security Council, Operation Sophia is also enforcing the arms embargo. Just last week, we seized a shipment of weapons and ammunition. The Council’s endorsement of our Operation is a great sign of the trust that this institution places in the men and women serving under the European flag, doing it the European way in the context of the United Nations. We take this responsibility very seriously. Last year, just days after my briefing to the Security Council (see S/PV.7705), I presented our Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy. The Strategy envisages greater European cooperation on security and defence. In less than a year’s time, we have taken more steps towards a European Union of security and defence than in the previous 60 years. More cooperation on European defence means more efficient spending, better capabilities and more security for our citizens and for the world. But it also means becoming an even more reliable partner for our neighbours and friends, starting with the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and many regional organizations with which we partner on security issues. Yet, as I said at the outset, we consider our military capabilities as only one element of our security strategy. To prevent conflict, you also need good development policies and strong State institutions. Peace is never sustainable without decent infrastructure, good health care and education, participation or democracy. This is what we call resilience, and the United Nations remains for us a fundamental partner in this kind of work. That is why the European Union’s voluntary contributions to the United Nations funds and agencies amount to half of its total budget. This means we proudly and smartly invest in them as much as the rest of the world combined. We believe that it is in our best interests to do so. Our contributions  — to the World Food Programme to prevent humanitarian crises, to UNICEF to help children in war-torn countries go to school and to prevent radicalization, to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to assist millions of displaced people — are all contributions to our own common security. So let me be very clear and speak directly to our American friends. It is essential for us that we all keep investing in these United Nations agencies. They are as important to global peace and security as defence spending, and sometimes even more important. And we Europeans consider this support for the United Nations system as crucial investments in our own security. Take the terrible famine that has hit the Horn of Africa. It has the potential to make a security situation that is fragile even worse and turn it into an actual security situation. This also serves as a powerful reminder that climate change is real and is already having an impact on our security environments. Everything is linked. We therefore continue to expect that the United States will find a way to remain committed to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. I know that there is an ongoing debate, which we greatly respect, but 195 countries have signed the deal on climate change and there will be 195 different paths to meeting the Paris goals and honouring the Agreement. I am sure there is room for the United States Administration to find its own path, as it is already part of what the world has agreed together. The Paris Agreement shows the right approach to the challenges of our era. The international community managed to come together and seek common solutions beyond the traditional divides. Over the past few years, we have already managed to overcome these divides. The Sustainable Development Goals were a key achievement for us. This month — next week, actually — the European Council will adopt a new consensus on development that brings the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Agenda to the core of our development policies, both at the European and national levels. It will be a pleasure for me to welcome Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in Brussels that day. I believe that the greatest divide in today’s world is between those who believe that international politics are a zero-sum game and those who are working to build win-win solutions on common ground. The European way is in constant search for win-win solutions, and the essence of the United Nations is to represent a space where compromise can always prevail over confrontation. That is why I say the European way is the United Nations way. This search for win-win solutions is another field where the European way and the United Nations way converge perfectly. We saw it last year at the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants. Instead of focusing on what divides us, the North and the South, the developing and developed — even if I personally hate these two words — we looked for cooperative solutions, for partnerships  — what we call “compacts”. Since then, the European Union has worked on partnerships with five African countries, including Ethiopia and Senegal, whose representatives are both sitting in the Security Council today, able to bear witness to the fact that this search for win-win solutions cannot be imposed by one side on the other. Our approach is that we can only agree together on what is good for both, which is why we are defining different priorities for our cooperation with each of our partners. This cooperative approach is already producing some concrete results, and we believe that this work can feed the discussion on reaching a global compact for refugees and migrants within the United Nations framework. Let me add that our cooperation with United Nations agencies on migration is constant and extremely positive. I would like to mention in particular the situation in Libya, which, as Security Council members know, is very close to the European heart. In Libya, we see that the conditions of migrants stranded in the country are dramatic. For this reason, we are funding a €90 million support package for Libya in support of the work of the International Organization for Migration, UNHCR and United Nations Development Programme inside Libya. We think this is the way. Confrontational approaches lead nowhere. Between win-win and lose-lose, the European Union has picked sides. We always stand on the side of dialogue and partnership. Where others might see conflict, we look for cooperation. In times of global disorder, when instability spreads from one side of the world to the other, building win-win solutions is difficult, but for us it is an absolute necessity. There is no sustainable alternative to that. That is certainly true in terms of counter-terrorism. The attacks in Europe over the last year tell us that cross-border cooperation is of the utmost importance. We therefore support Antonio Guterres’ proposal to establish a United Nations office on Counter-terrorism, to be headed by an under-secretary-general. His proposal could enhance coordination and effectiveness in our work, to the benefit of all. Security today is a truly global issue. Let us look at an obvious example that the Security Council has had to deal with several times recently and in a very important manner  — the situation in the Korean peninsula. A military escalation with North Korea would lead to devastating consequences. We believe that we all have an interest in avoiding confrontation and pushing for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to re-engage with the international community. I have been following very closely the past few hours the results of the elections in the Republic of Korea to see if that will open new avenues of engagement. This leads me to a third point before I conclude. Another essential feature of the European way is that we believe in a global order based on rules that are agreed together and respected by all, as should be the case for non-proliferation. In our chaotic era, rules are too often perceived, globally but also in our own countries, as a constraint for some, more than a guarantee for all. But more power politics is the perfect recipe for further destabilization. International rules for us are not a threat but a protection for every nation’s autonomy. These rules include territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. For this reason, we do not and will not recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. We will continue to work to bring the conflict in eastern Ukraine to an end, with the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements. When any such violations occur, we are all less secure. When accountability is not guaranteed, the credibility of the entire international system is called into question. We have repeated time and again, to move on to another subject, that after the chemical attack in Syria, for instance, that accountability for those crimes must be guaranteed. We therefore fully support the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in its important and delicate work. We believe that this is the correct place, the correct forum, where accountability should be guaranteed. (spoke in French) When we speak of multilateralism, it is not a rhetorical profession of faith. It is a matter of taking these rules seriously, investing in multilateral institutions and seeing in the United Nations the overall framework within which our actions take place. It is not an ideological posture, but a calculated and pragmatic choice at the same time. No world Power is strong enough to put an end to the crises of our time. Each crisis implicates too many actors and involves too many issues. Any contribution is welcome, and no one can contribute in a vacuum. (spoke in English) With regard to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, last year we revived the Middle East Quartet and reached an unprecedented consensus among us on the risks for the two-State solution and on practical recommendations. We must preserve and enlarge that unity, for instance through cooperation between the European Union and the League of Arab States and between the Quartet and Arab States. I see the representative of Egypt sitting here as one of the key players in this respect. I was honoured to discuss these perspectives at the summit of the League of Arab States in Jordan last month. Of course, we need the Israelis and the Palestinians first of all to directly negotiate with each other, supported by the accompanying efforts of the international community, starting with the United States, the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and all those that believe that peace needs the direct involvement of the two parties but also our contribution to help them reach a solution. Different initiatives can make important contributions to a peace process. In some situations, we need to be imaginative and look for new channels when the traditional formats seem to fail. This seems to be the case for Venezuela, where it is vital to stop the escalation and establish a new form of mediation that can be agreed to by all sides. We stand ready to help in any useful way in support of any helpful initiative that can be put in place. The European Union is not interested in photo opportunities. Between a theatrical empty statement and a silent effective mediation, we will always choose the latter. In our view, the real impact matters more than the headlines. In all cases, coordination and complementarity are the key and the best way to guarantee coordination is by working together with the United Nations. Peace for Syria can come only through negotiations among the Syrian parties in Geneva. In that connection, I would like to once again thank Staffan de Mistura for his incredible work and leadership. When it comes to Yemen, the European Union is sponsoring track-two and peacebuilding initiatives, but those efforts need to feed into a United Nations process. In Libya, a window of opportunity has just opened. We firmly support such an opportunity and believe that the Libyans must seize this moment. We are fully behind all United Nations efforts to bring a political solution to the crisis. Whatever the format, whatever the initiative, we believe that the United Nations must be the centre of gravity of all peacebuilding efforts, carried out in an effective manner. Only the United Nations can guarantee the coherence of the process and the strength of the outcome and implementation. The nuclear deal with Iran shows the way forward, in our view. It set a milestone for non-proliferation, making everyone more secure  — in the region, in Europe and in the world. World Powers negotiated the deal, but the agreement was immediately ratified by the Security Council. The deal now belongs to the entire international community, not only to us who were in that room in Vienna. The International Atomic Energy Agency has certified its implementation five times. That is the European way. Enforcing and strengthening the rules of non-proliferation, we brought to an end 12 years of confrontation through peaceful dialogue. It is the European way and it is the way of the United Nations. A successful deal makes the whole system more credible because it shows that we can collectively deliver on our citizens’ needs. The best way to preserve and reinforce that credibility is by making the United Nations system more effective. Therefore, we stand behind the Secretary-General’s reform agenda on the peace and security pillar, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and United Nations management reform. The agenda has the potential to make the whole United Nations family less fragmented, more united and coherent. The European Union cares about the United Nations as a precious tool. In 60 years, we have become a super-Power for peace, security and democracy. We are accompanying reconciliation processes in all corners of the world, from Afghanistan to Myanmar. We are helping our Eastern partners to strengthen their economies and their institutions and bolster their resilience — and in just a few days we will announce a visa liberalization agreement with our Ukrainian friends. We are finding new ways to support Africa’s growth, together with African Governments, the African Union, the private sector and civil society. In 60 years, the European Union has become not only the most successful peace project in the world, but also an indispensable partner to move beyond the current disorder and to try to build a more cooperative world order together. We will always return to this centre of gravity, this pivot of a rules-based international system. Because the European way is the way of the United Nations. The European vision is the vision of the United Nations. Whoever wants to invest in this system, will find in the European Union a partner and a friend — a reliable, constructive and cooperative partner.

I thank High Representative Mogherini for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council who wish to make statements.

I am delighted to see High Representative Mogherini in the Security Council this morning. Her briefing was truly inspirational. Her points about the win-win nature of a cooperation approach, of a rules-based international order and of strong multilateralism with the United Nations at its centre is an important message. It is particularly fitting that she is in the Council today on Europe Day, 9 May. As she said, today we mark 60 years since the Treaty establishing the European Community and 67 years since the Schuman Declaration, which set the European continent on an unprecedented journey from the ashes of war and division towards recovery, reconciliation and, ultimately, to the European Union (EU) we know today. The European project has been the single most important institutional source of peace and stability in Europe since the end of the Second World War. With a vision of Europe whole and free, based on democratic values, a rules-based security order and shared economic prosperity, it has been the ultimate conflict-prevention mechanism. Today should also be seen as a celebration of the power of multilateral cooperation to deliver peace and development. That belief was at the heart of Europe’s founding fathers, who, in the words of the former Italian Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alcide De Gasperi, believed that the future would “not be built through force, nor the desire to conquer, but by the patient application of the democratic method, the constructive spirit of agreement, and by respect for freedom”. Because of the foundations upon which it is built, the European Union is a natural partner and ally to the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security. We are also joined in our common commitment to deliver a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world, as envisioned in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We share a commitment to a world based on the core principles of democracy, the rule of law, and the universality and indivisibility of human rights. That commitment to the United Nations is clearly stated in the Treaty on European Union, which enshrines the core principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Effective multinationalism is at the heart of how the European Union engages with the wider world. Therefore, it is clear that a strong United Nations is a cornerstone of the EU’s common foreign and security policy, and that a strong EU can significantly contribute to a strong United Nations. The opening line of the Schuman Declaration called for creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten world peace. This call to adapt in response to a changing world is as relevant today as it was in 1950. The Secretary-General is seeking to respond to that imperative through his renewed focus on conflict prevention and sustaining peace and through his efforts to reform how the United Nations works to make it more effective in dealing with the challenges of today and tomorrow. We fully support his efforts. The United Nations reviews on peace and security emphasize the need for strengthened partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations. In that context, the strategic partnership between the EU and the United Nations in the fields of peacekeeping and crisis management is important. I would like to thank the European External Action Service and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for their efforts in implementing that partnership. The European Union seeks to actively contribute to peace and security in Europe and beyond. It does that as a committed partner of the United Nations, in many ways. Let me highlight just a few. First of all, the European Union is an advocate for international law and for a rules-based international order with a strong United Nations at its heart. That is why the EU has reiterated its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Secondly, through its enlargement and neighbourhood policies, the EU helps strengthen democracy and human rights among its eastern and southern neighbours. In the western Balkans, the Security Council has handed over primary responsibility for security and stability to the EU in countries that were once subject to large United Nations operations and that, in many cases today, are turning into security providers in their own right. Thirdly, the European Union has actively contributed to peace and security beyond the region of Europe and across all continents. It has done so, for example, from its contribution in Colombia, to the Aceh Monitoring Mission in Indonesia, to stabilization in Iraq and Afghanistan, to its maritime operations off the coast off Somalia and Libya, to its comprehensive policy in cooperation with countries and regional actors for security, peace and development in the Sahel, to its support for African Union peace operations — not least the African Union Mission in Somalia — through the African Peace Facility. Finally, as the world’s largest humanitarian donor, the EU provides needs-based humanitarian aid, in line with humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Cooperation between the EU and the United Nations is strong, as was evidenced by the process leading to the agreement on the ambitious Grand Bargain. A fast and efficient humanitarian response that reaches those who are most vulnerable is contingent on continuing, and deepened, coordination and cooperation between our two organizations. In conclusion, the European Union’s Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy gives it a renewed framework for global action in support of peace and development, as we just heard. We hope it can contribute to strengthening the partnership between our organizations even further. The European Union is a champion of multilateralism and a shining example of what multilateralism can achieve. While the challenges that Europe and the international community face today could not have been imagined by the EU’s founders, the principles on which they built it remain relevant as we seek to build a better future for all.

I would like to welcome Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to the Security Council and to thank her warmly for her briefing. As we do every year on 9 May, today the States members of the European Union celebrate Europe Day in honour of the shared project that they have brought to life together since the signing of the Treaty of Rome more than 60 years ago now. The decision to hold this annual meeting of the Council on the cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union on this symbolic day is anything but trivial. It reflects the closeness of two organizations that share the same values and whose areas of joint intervention are constantly increasing. It is also testament to the huge importance that the United Nations has for the European Union in its conduct of its external policies, as shown by Ms. Mogherini’s presence in New York today, on this special day for all Europeans, and I thank her for it once again. Today the European Union is a major player in peacekeeping and a strategic partner of the United Nations in that area. As with other regional organizations, its role is becoming ever more central to the implementation of peacekeeping operations, whether through financing, military contributions or political support. The European Union’s numerous missions, military and civilian, within the framework of its common security and defence policy, help to implement Security Council decisions in many regions of the world. That is particularly the case in Europe itself, where, for example, it contributes to the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo; in Africa, including in Mali, the Niger, the Central African Republic and Somalia, where it helps to strengthen African crisis- response capabilities structurally and provides crucial funding for African peace-support operations; and in responding to cross-cutting threats through its efforts to combat migrant smuggling in the Mediterranean and maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia. I could give many more examples. We should keep in mind the financial contribution that European countries make to peacekeeping operations, covering 40 per cent of the total budget for peacekeeping  — but also on the human front, as in Mali, for instance, where more than 1,000 European Blue Helmets are working with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali with unprecedented means at their disposal. More broadly, the European Union intervenes in support of peace and security by using the full range of its tools within a global approach designed to promote political solutions and address the underlying causes of conflicts and terrorism in depth. That makes it entirely consistent with the Secretary-General’s vision for action by the international community throughout cycles of conflict, from prevention to peacebuilding. The European Union is also a core partner of the Security Council in its efforts to reach lasting solutions to the major crises on its agenda. Some examples of that include the Syrian issue, where the European Union has added its voice to those emphasizing the urgency of resuming inter-Syrian negotiations with a view to setting up a political transition that accords with the provisions of resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012 (S/2012/522, annex). That can be achieved only in an environment where there is a sustained cessation of hostilities and free, unhindered, consistent access to humanitarian aid. Another such example is in Libya, where the European Union is deployed alongside the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in a major effort to enable the Presidential Council of Prime Minister Serraj to combat the threat posed by the growing presence there of terrorist groups. In addition, through the European Union Sophia military operation in the Southern Central Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR), deployed in international waters off the Libyan coast, and based on the relevant Council resolutions, the Union is also helping to fight migrant smuggling and strengthen the implementation of the arms embargo on Libya. A third example is the crisis in Ukraine, in which the European Union has pursued a policy of dialogue and firm support for the work of the Normandy group, whose efforts will continue in the months to come. The European sanctions are intended not as punishment but rather as encouragement to the parties involved to implement the provisions that the Security Council has endorsed to bring about an end to the crisis, that is, the package of measures for implementing the Minsk agreements. Lastly, the European Union is a leading actor in the response to the global migrant crisis. In the face of what appears to be the greatest crisis of displaced persons and refugees since the end of the Second World War, in which we must show both solidarity and responsibility, the European Union’s proactive efforts are too often downplayed or misunderstood. It continues to be by far the biggest provider of humanitarian aid to refugees around the world. Its operations, with EUNAVFOR Sophia in the forefront, have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people in distress in the waters of the Mediterranean and have been combating the migrant- trafficking networks in the Mediterranean. The EU is not ignoring the importance of tackling the underlying causes of the issue, as it has demonstrated through the priority it has given to financing for development in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its major financial support to countries of origin and transit. To cite just one example, the European Union contributes well over 50 per cent of governmental assistance to development globally. So while it cannot solve the migrant crisis on its own, it contributes its full share of political, security, financial, moral and human responsibility in attempting to respond as effectively as possible. Finally, I would like to echo a remark of Ms. Mogherini’s and note the deep attachment that France, and our community of nations as a whole, has to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and its full implementation, which represents one of the greatest challenges of our time and which needs all of our engagement. I would like to conclude by emphasizing once again a fundamental point of convergence between the United Nations and the European Union, which is their shared commitment to multilateralism and a world where the law is stronger than mere might. That is one of the elements that go to make the European Union one of the pillars of today’s international order, far beyond its role as a regional organization.

I would like to thank the Uruguayan presidency for convening this meeting on Europe Day, and of course High Representative Federica Mogherini for her briefing and her words. As a member of the Security Council and a founding member of the European Union, Italy attaches great importance to this meeting and to the cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union.. About one month ago we celebrated in Rome the sixtieth anniversary of the Rome Treaty and signed a new declaration that affirms the tangible value and current relevance of the European project. As highlighted by Ms. Mogherini, the EU stands today as a key world player and as a provider of peace and development throughout the world. In that vein, together with our European partners, we are committed to making a constructive contribution to strengthening the European voice at the United Nations and in the Security Council. The decision to split our term in the Council with another founding member of the European Union, the Netherlands, was shaped by our shared European values. We live in a time of interconnected, evolving challenges that require transnational comprehensive solutions. The complexity of destabilizing factors threatening our societies entails a multidimensional response in which security, human rights and development are closely intertwined. The United Nations, as well as the EU and its member States, have developed and incorporated a holistic approach into their strategies  — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the sustaining peace agenda and the European Union Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, which was mentioned by the High Representative. (spoke in French) Cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union, under and beyond Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, is based on a natural partnership that links the two organizations as communities of shared values and principles. That cooperation could be further developed today on the basis of that shared understanding of the complexity of current challenges. (spoke in English) First, the European Union and its member States contribute to United Nations missions, supporting them with a common security and defence policy mission and working closely with regional organizations such as the African Union. The European Union has noteworthy engagement in international peace efforts, especially in Africa, for instance in Somalia and the Central African Republic, in Mali with EU military training mission, and in Libya with an EU border assistance mission. As the High Representative stated, the recent decision to establish a military planning and conduct capability will provide an additional tool to improve the effectiveness of the EU as a security partner. In strengthening those capacities we should never forget or compromise our values. That means, first and foremost, protecting and saving lives. That is what we are doing relentlessly every day in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast, thanks to Operation Sophia. In less than two years, with 25 EU members participating in the Operation led by Admiral Credendino, over 34,000 people have been rescued and more than 100 smugglers arrested. Those figures are clear proof of the added value provided by the European Union. The decision of the High Representative to give the Operation the name of a baby born aboard a vessel reminds us that combating human-trafficking networks is a collective moral duty and a shared security priority. Italy will continue to address that plight through a comprehensive approach aimed at tackling its root causes, dismantling the business model of traffickers and saving lives at sea. Secondly, the European Union is a global driver of peace. As a union of half a billion people, among the main economic powers in the world and the first investor in development corporation, the EU is a builder and keeper of the peace, security and development continuum. That gives the European Union unparalleled potential to contribute to the surge in diplomacy advocated by the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres. We strongly support his push for a shift from crisis management to crisis prevention. We believe that this approach should drive the reform of the United Nations peace and security pillar, including its partnerships with regional organizations. The European project has displayed its magnetic force since its foundation. Along with the widening of its borders, democracy, stability and development have stretched all over the continent. Today it continues to exert the same power of attraction, moving towards enlargement to neighbouring countries. I underscore in that regard the vital role it plays in the Western Balkans. A credible EU enlargement policy represents the unique path for countries in the Western Balkans to consolidate inclusive, democratic and resilient societies. The United Nations and the European Union should be resolute in encouraging them to work together for a better future. Moreover, the European Union is endowed with a set of diverse and effective tools to facilitate the political solution of crises — a goal that is at the top of the agenda of the Union and its members, starting with Syria, Libya and the Middle East as a whole. In coordination with other international regional actors, the Union is proactively engaged in diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful settlement to protracted and unresolved conflicts in Europe. Ending the crisis in Ukraine remains a top priority for the European Union, which is providing its utmost support to the Security Council’s call for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Last but not least, I turn to development. The European Union is the world’s leading donor, as was recalled here, and provides more than 50 per cent of global development aid. Bridging humanitarian assistance and development cooperation while promoting human rights, the rule of law and good governance, the European Union is a major partner of the United Nations and its agencies in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Our common endeavour to eradicate extreme poverty, tackle the effects of climate change, strengthen fragile institutions, protect human rights and build confidence and dialogue among communities is the primary antidote to the spread of conflict. (spoke in French) In conclusion, in all of the areas I mentioned, we think that corporation and coordination between the United Nations and the European Union could be further strengthened in order to take full advantage of their respective potential, in keeping with the principles of complementarity and subsidiarity.

It is good to see the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Federica Mogherini, back in the Security Council. I wish to thank her for the range and depth of her comprehensive statement. As the representative of Sweden mentioned, it is fitting that we meet today on what is both Europe Day and the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War. The Europe Union (EU), just like the United Nations itself, emerged as a direct consequence of that terrible conflict. Born of the same scourge of war, both organizations have shared the same values since their inception, cooperating closely to advance international peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Those values are just as relevant today in a world that faces a different sort of challenge than those that the founders of the United Nations and the European Union envisaged. Terrorism, violent extremism, organized crime, uncontrolled migration, climate change and globalization have created even more protracted and complex conflicts and humanitarian crises. In the face of these challenges, the United Nations and the European Union need each other more than ever. Today we need to develop smarter approaches to ensure that efforts across both organizations are complementary and collaborative in order to resolve conflicts, promote peace and build long-term development. From Russian aggression in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to instability in Libya, the Horn of Africa and the migration crises, Europe is sadly all too familiar with the threats to security in its region and across the globe. In those cases, the EU has demonstrated its ability to support the United Nations as a global security provider. We see that in our peacekeeping partnerships in Somalia, in Mali and the Central African Republic, where EU, United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions are doing a vital job in maintaining peace and providing security and training. As others said, Operation Sophia continues saving lives in the waters of the Mediterranean, bringing traffickers to justice, countering illegal migration and interdicting weapons that can fuel violent extremism. As the High Representative said, Security Council support for that has been absolutely vital. In Ukraine, the European Union is using targeted sanctions to help that country in the face of Russian aggression. The European Union also helps the United Nations to resolve conflict through its mediation capacity as an honest broker and a bridge-builder. We see that in Syria and the Horn of Africa, where the European Union is supporting the United Nations to foster political dialogue with key actors so as to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance. Such activism can also be seen with regard to Iran, where the EU, through the Office of the of the High Representative, continues its key role as coordinator of the joint commission contributing to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As the High Representative said, the EU approach links security, development and human rights just as many of us seek to do in the Council. The United Kingdom is proud to play its part in that regard. Tomorrow’s London Somalia Conference, hosted by the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, the Secretary-General and the President of Somalia, will be an important moment to accelerate progress on security sector reform and to support Somalia’s movement towards a political settlement. We are delighted that the High Representative will also be present at that conference. Furthermore, the European Union and the United Nations are working together to deliver inclusive development in protracted crises by implementing new approaches that bring together peacebuilding, development and humanitarian finance and expertise. In response to the Syria crisis, the EU and the United Nations are working together with refugee-hosting countries so as to address more effectively the needs of Syrian refugees and host populations. But United Nations-EU cooperation goes well beyond conflict resolution. As the Secretary-General said in this Chamber, the United Nations needs to reform so as to better contain and prevent modern-day threats and build peace after conflicts end. We need a United Nations that can prevent crises as well as end them. The United Kingdom shares the Secretary- General’s commitment and the commitment that the High Representative just reiterated on behalf of the EU to reforming the United Nations so that there is a further strengthening of the nexus between peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. We must all stand with the Secretary-General to implement and deliver reform. That will be crucial for the United Nations and for collaboration with the European Union as we seek to tackle future threats to international peace and security together and strengthen the effectiveness of the multilateral system.

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. You wear it well, and we look forward to your leadership. I also thank the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for her comprehensive briefing. One of the great honours and pleasures of being the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations is working with nations and organizations that share our commitment to freedom, prosperity and human dignity. We deeply appreciate the European Union and its member States’ leadership and cooperation in promoting peace, security and human rights in Europe and around the world. Today, as we take stock of our global priorities, I am struck by how often the United States and the European Union partner to amplify each of each other’s important efforts. In Syria, the European Union is a close, reliable partner as we work together to end the conflict there and address the human rights and international humanitarian law violations of the Al-Assad regime. The humanitarian assistance provided by the European Union and its member States in that and other crises across the globe has been vital to relieving suffering. That support has complemented the United States humanitarian assistance to Syria, which has amounted to more than $6.5 billion since the start of the crisis. In the longer-term, the European Union’s commitment to support serious reconstruction once a political settlement is reached will be invaluable not only to the Syrian people, but to the region and the world. But to get to that point, imposing sanctions on individuals and entities connected to Syria’s chemical weapons programme is necessary. The United States has sought to expand United Nations sanctions on known suppliers and facilitators of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. We appreciate the European Union’s cooperation in levying Syria-related sanctions, but we need to do more. We call on the European Union and the United Nations to apply more rigorous sanctions to deny Al-Assad and his regime the means to commit further war crimes. Ukraine is another area in which we have worked defectively together. The European Union has played a critical role in holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine. The United States and the European Union should remain united in their resolve to keep sanctions in place until Moscow fully honours its Minsk commitments. One of our most fruitful areas of cooperation has been in our effort to bring greater focus on the relationship between human rights and international peace and security. We commend and share the European Union’s emphasis on accountability and its efforts to fight impunity for human rights abuses and violations. Together we are fighting not only to hold violators accountable, but also to ensure that victims receive the proper treatment, care and justice. I am hopeful that we will begin to see greater support from European Union member States at the Human Rights Council as we work to prevent the ongoing anti-Israel bias in that forum. We remain deeply concerned about the migrant situation in Libya and the central Mediterranean region. We recognize the challenges that the European Union and its member States, especially Italy, face with the continuous flow of refugees. We commend them for their sustained efforts to counter migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Other bright spots in our partnership are in conflict prevention, security assistance, counter-terrorism and peacebuilding. In Africa, we commend the European Union’s missions on the ground. We also greatly appreciate its partnership with the United Nations and the United States in the nine United Nations missions in Africa, especially in Mali, Somalia and the Central African region. The European Union’s financial contribution to the African Union forces in Somalia in particular has been central to the significant security and political progress there. Elsewhere in the world, we look forward to further support from European partners. In Asia, the European Union has played a key role in supporting United Nations efforts to establish the necessary incentives for North Korea to address urgent non-proliferation and humanitarian crises and human rights violations. The only path to a secure and prosperous future for North Korea is to comply fully with all of its obligations under international law. North Korea must abandon its reckless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. We call on the European Union and all countries to exert maximal pressure on North Korea to change course. We urge European Union member States to rigorously implement Security Council resolutions, impose tough, autonomous measures that go beyond the resolutions, and downgrade diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea. Stronger action on North Korea from the European Union and its member States will assist in securing peace in the region. With regard to Iran as well, we look forward to deepening cooperation with the European Union to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities and to hold the Iranian Government accountable for its actions. Resolution 2231 (2015) must be fully implemented, including provisions regarding the transfer of weapons and the launching of ballistic missiles. The European Union can, and should, do more to underscore to Iran that its destabilizing actions in the region, including support for extremists and terrorists groups, must cease. In conclusion, the United States shares deep bonds of history and principle with the European Union and its member countries. We reiterate our firm commitment to working closely with the High Representative in support of United Nations priorities. We look forward to continuing our valuable partnership and support for our shared values.

I would like to welcome High Representative Federica Mogherini to the Security Council and thank her for her insightful briefing. Furthermore, we deeply appreciated her visit to Hiroshima, Japan, in April 2016 and her call for lasting peace throughout the world. First, on behalf of the Government and the people of Japan, I would like to recognize that the European Union (EU) plays an indispensable and contemporary role in enabling the Security Council to fulfil its primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security. The EU has consistently demonstrated leadership and commitment in charting road maps for the resolution of conflicts, post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian assistance around the world, while also garnering vital international attention and support. Japan and the EU are global strategic partners that share the common values of democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law. We have worked together tirelessly for the peace and security of the international community as a whole. As one example, the EU and the United Nations recently hosted a conference in Brussels to marshal international humanitarian support for Syria and the region. Japan is pleased to have joined in those efforts by announcing new humanitarian assistance of approximately $260 million, which was decided after the beginning of 2017. The EU also plays a key role in the Middle East peace process as a member of the Quartet, including on the relaunch of negotiations to achieve lasting peace. Japan is committed to facilitating direct talks and implementing confidence-building measures. Japan and the EU are also working closely together in Africa, especially on measures to enhance security and counter-terrorism. Joint projects are under way in countries such as the Niger, Mali, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia to provide equipment, communications technology, improved facilities and human resources training. In the Niger, Japan recently announced approximately $2 million in assistance to provide wireless communication devices and vehicles to the Government, while the EU is providing training for law enforcement officers. Japan Maritime Defence Force and EU Naval Force are also cooperating closely to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, including through joint exercises. Japan strongly supports the EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy. The Strategy demonstrates the EU’s commitment to promoting a rules-based international order, including on global maritime security, centred on multilateralism and the United Nations. The development of that Global Strategy comes at an important time, given the ongoing challenges faced by the continent, from refugee flows to terrorism. Japan looks forward to enhancing its cooperation with the EU throughout the world, including in the Asia Pacific region. In particular, Japan strongly hopes that the EU global strategy on building maritime capacities and regional security architecture in South-East Asia will be implemented. I would like to conclude by reiterating that Japan supports a strong, unified Europe. We hope that Europe will overcome its various challenges and continue to take robust and concrete steps towards integration and international activism.

I congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. I also thank the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for participating in today’s meeting and for her very important and clear-cut position statement. I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s full support for the further development of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Such cooperation is essential for delivering on the Council’s mandate to maintain international peace and security. The role of the European Union (EU) in such cooperation is a special one. The European Union is a major political and economic player in the international arena and a contributor to the resolution of a number of conflicts and crises, far beyond its geographic neighbourhood, with Colombia as just one recent example. The EU is an active partner of the United Nations in peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, non-proliferation, combating terrorism and many other issues. The European Union Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy, presented last year, reflects the main areas and priorities of EU-United Nations cooperation. Ukraine fully shares the overall vision of the Strategy, in particular responsibility, unity and an integrated approach to conflicts and crises. The strong engagement of the EU in conflict resolution processes and its participation in international political dialogue would definitely enhance the voice of partners struggling for peace, democratic values and their sovereign choice. We believe that a rules-based global order with multilateralism as its key principle and the United Nations at its core is a vital element in ensuring sustainable peace in the world. Ukraine also supports the initiatives mentioned in the Strategy on United Nations peacebuilding efforts, the implementation of the commitments on sustainable development and climate change, support of the Human Rights Council and others. We also support the Strategy’s call upon members of the Security Council not to vote against credible draft resolutions on timely and decisive action to prevent or end mass atrocities. In the light of events in Syria and Russian shameful vetoes on relevant resolutions, that call is as relevant as ever. The High Representative outlined a number of challenges and threats that affect the world and where cooperation between the United Nations and the EU is effectively maintained. We praise the EU contribution to conflict resolution in the Middle East and Africa, as well as its work to combat terrorism, violent extremism, climate change and so on. I would like to emphasize in particular the existing conflicts in Europe and the role of the EU in their management and resolution. During our presidency in February, Ukraine organized an open debate (see S/PV.7886) on that issue, and we are grateful to the European Union for its active participation and valuable input to the discussion. During that meeting, the majority of Council members expressed a common vision of the important role of the EU as an arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, in addressing current and emerging security challenges in Europe. In my view, that role is vital for the following reasons, inter alia. First, the contribution of the EU is essential in building the resilience of countries in the Eastern and Southern neighbourhoods by encouraging them in a reform process that brings long-term benefits and fosters stability in the region. The reviewed Euro- Mediterranean partnership and updated EU Global Security Strategy set up good frameworks for building upon our cooperation on security matters. Secondly, the EU is directly or indirectly involved in conflict resolution in Europe, including around Ukraine, the Western Balkans, Moldova, Georgia and so on. It defends the European security order, which is firmly based on the principles of sovereignty, independence and the territorial integrity of States, the inviolability of borders, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the free choice of countries in deciding their own future. Such EU efforts prove their effectiveness in the former Yugoslavia, where despite all of the suffering, numerous casualties and terrible atrocities, all conflicts are now by and large resolved. In the post-Soviet region to the contrary, none of the conflicts — I repeat, none — has been settled. Moreover, new conflicts erupt and new threats to regional peace appear. Why is that? The answer is rather simple. In the case of the former Yugoslavia, success was reached due to the resolute stance of the international community and its coordinated efforts, including the United Nations and the EU. Furthermore, although not without delay, spoilers and instigators of the conflicts were removed from decision-making. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, the situation is different, if not opposite. Since the early 1990s, the Russian Federation has embraced the concept of an instability belt. It has effectively created controlled instability in many countries along Russia’s border to keep them in Moscow’s orbit, and, like in the case of Ukraine, to halt any integration with the EU. We are greatly thankful for the strong position of the European Union on the Russian aggression in Ukraine, which the High Representative has just confirmed. I am also thankful to other colleagues around the table who spoke in support of my country. We believe that the existing situation is not a deadlock; protracted and active conflicts in Europe can be effectively resolved and potential tensions can be prevented from erupting. We also believe that the European Union, together with the United Nations, should not shy away from taking an even more proactive approach in conflict management and resolution in Europe. In conclusion, EU-United Nations cooperation has proved to be invaluable on numerous occasions, from the fight against terrorism to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in different parts of the world. Ukraine looks forward to that continued partnership, which will further effectively contribute to the promotion of international peace and security.

Bolivia wishes to thank Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for her briefing on cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union. In that connection, I would like to affirm that the aim of international cooperation, as established in Article 1.3 of the Charter of the United Nations, is to solve international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and to do so through multilateralism. On this point, we agree with the statement in the foreward of the European Union Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy that we must work together, but we must be more than merely inclusive in our efforts. We must do so under the principle of sovereign equality, which responds to the common good of our people. In that sense, it is imperative to work to strengthen multilateralism in strict compliance with the Charter of the United Nations. Regional and subregional organizations are critical to ensuring stability and security in their roles as natural mediators with appropriate inputs to address specific matters, thereby creating conditions conducive to lasting solutions on the basis of the mutual benefit of States and the principles of international law, in line with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and General Assembly resolution 65/276, regarding cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations. In that respect, Bolivia maintains relations with the European Union, framed in institutionalized dialogue with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, to agree policies and actions in the international context that will allow us to move towards mutually beneficial goals, facing such challenges as the global food crisis, climate change and terrorism, among others. We therefore hope that cooperation between the organizations will continue in that direction, for the common good. We express our solidarity with the families and Governments of the victims of the terrorist attacks that have affected the European Union. We regret the increase in such attacks and commend the efforts of the European Union to overcome that scourge. We condemn terrorism and encourage the Organization to pursue its efforts to enhance cooperation and exchange of information, in respect for human rights. With respect to conflicts or disputes between States, Bolivia stresses the importance for all Member States to observe, respect, apply and comply with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. In that understanding, it is necessary encourage the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue, mediation, negotiation or judicial mechanisms established by the Charter, such as the International Criminal Court. Bolivia believes that the European Union is an essential global actor at the political and economic levels that contributes to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and we commend it for its work throughout the planet. Also in that regard, we consider that the diplomatic preventive measures and mechanisms of regional organizations should be coordinated and oriented towards the identification of potential crises and the exchange of impartial information. In that regard, we favour cooperation with that regional organization, based on the principles of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, the non-use of force or the threat of use of force, and the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of States. Bolivia recognizes the work of the European Union on various issues with which the Security Council is seized, such as the Iranian nuclear issue, on which the European Union has played a very important role, and the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the establishment of two States within the pre- 1967 frontiers and with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine. We also appreciate the work of the European Union in Africa, where security is a factor of great importance, in financing the African Union Mission in Somalia and contributing to the development and training of the Somali National Army through its military training mission in Somalia and its Naval Force Operation Atalanta, which is fighting piracy. We further commend the work of the European Union in Mali, through the training of that country’s armed forces, and in the Central African Republic, in cooperation with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. The world is suffering the worst crisis of inequality in its history. Eight individuals own half the planet’s wealth. The world is also experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis since 1945. Some 128 million people require humanitarian assistance in 33 countries. Moreover, we are going through a severe financial crisis, because we have not resolved such structural causes as the phenomenon of external debt. We are in a serious energy crisis — 2.9 billion people use wood or stoves for heat or cooking. As Ms. Mogherini affirmed, we are in serious climate, food and international institutional crises, the latter due to the fact that the Organization has been unable to reform itself for decades. But the worst of all are the wars being waged across the world, prompted in many cases by interventionism, regime change policies and the flouting of the norms of international law. All these crises prove that there is no such thing as a first world or a third world. There is only one world, one house for the human family, one home with differentiated responsibilities among its members. We believe that the European Union can and must play a critical role in resolving all these crises, on the basis of international law and of strict respect for multilateralism, without double standards, resorting first and foremost to policy and diplomacy in all cases.

I thank you, Sir, for convening this briefing on United Nations cooperation with the European Union (EU). China listened attentively to the briefing given by Ms. Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. As the largest organization of regional integration in the world, the EU has achieved significant results in economic and political integration and made important contributions to the promotion of a multipolar world. As an important cooperation partner of the United Nations and the Security Council, the EU has actively participated in efforts to resolve regional hotspot issues, such as the Iranian nuclear issue and the situations in the Middle East and Africa. It has played an important role in maintaining regional stability in some regions, which China welcomes. The countries of the world are interconnected and interdependent. Humankind has a shared destiny. The United Nations is the most universal and authoritative intergovernmental international organization. The EU has a wealth of experience in conflict prevention and peacekeeping and is an important force for peace in the world. The United Nations and the EU should strengthen cooperation and make even more positive contributions to world peace, stability and development. First, they should vigorously promote multilateralism. The international situation is undergoing profound, multiple and complex changes. Anti-globalization and conservative thinking are on the rise. Parties should jointly safeguard the international order and the collective security mechanism, with the United Nations at its centre. They should strengthen the United Nations central role and status in international affairs. The United Nations and the EU should jointly champion a concept of global governance featuring consultations, collaboration and benefit-sharing so as to jointly promote international peace, regional stability and global development. Secondly, they should cultivate a harmonious and stable international security environment. In view of the complex and grave international security challenges they face, the United Nations and the EU should strengthen their cooperation, establish a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly push parties to abandon zero-sum thinking so as to achieve win-win results for both sides, multiple sides and everyone. Parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, respect the sovereign equality of countries and the development paths chosen independently by them, resolve disputes peacefully through such diplomatic means as mediation, good offices and dialogue, and jointly promote global security governance in a coordinated manner. Thirdly, it is important to vigorously promote sustainable international economic and social development. Countries face the common task of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Developing countries are faced with unique difficulties and challenges. With its economic development advantages, the European Union should, in view of the developing needs of developing countries, provide more funding and technical support in key fields so as to help those countries achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals at an early date. China attaches great importance to its relationship with the EU and has all along supported the integration process of Europe. We welcome a united, stable and prosperous Europe. China stands ready  — through the One Belt, One Road initiative, the China-EU Cooperation Mechanism and other platforms  — to deepen the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and, along with Europe, jointly push for new results in the four partnerships — for peace, growth, reform and civilization — so as to jointly make a new and even greater contribution to the promotion of world peace, stability and prosperity.

We join others in welcoming Her Excellency Ms. Federica Mogherini for today’s annual briefing on strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the European Union (EU). We thank the High Representative for her remarks on the EU’s foreign policy priorities and its perspectives on some of the most pressing issues of peace and security to both the United Nations and the European Union. It is indeed symbolic that we are discussing the United Nations-EU partnership on Europe Day, and I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our European friends on the sixtieth anniversary of the EU. We are also holding this meeting at a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges and threats to peace, security and prosperity. Europe is certainly not immune to those challenges. It is in fact going through difficult times, as the EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy has acknowledged. We understand that there are no easy solutions to some of those challenges and, in a much more interconnected and interdependent world, Europe cannot find solutions to these difficult and complex challenges alone. That is why reaffirming the multilateral approach, investing in a stronger United Nations and enhancing cooperation and partnership with other regional organizations is a sensible and logical thing to do, as outlined in the EU Global Strategy. It is indeed music to our ears to hear the High Representative stress that the EU vision is the United Nations vision. This is a time when that kind of commitment can serve as an example to all. A peaceful and harmonious Europe would be an important pillar for global peace at a time when there is more confusion than clarity at the global level. The European Union remains one of the most indispensable multilateral organizations, with a crucial role to play at a time of great uncertainty and a great deficit in trust, including in institutions that have endured for a long time. The United Nations-EU partnership is one of the most important global regional partnerships for the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security, which we need to foster now with even more and deeper commitment. The significance of this partnership has indeed been reinforced in the light of the new challenges that we referred to earlier. In that regard, we appreciate the growing cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union, which encompasses a wide range of issues across the peace, security and development agendas. That includes, inter alia, preventive diplomacy and mediation, peacekeeping, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, combating human trafficking and other transnational organized crimes, the global response to humanitarian crises, tackling the issue of large movements of refugees and migrants, addressing the impact of climate change and promoting sustainable development. For us in Africa, Europe is not only a neighbouring continent but also an important partner  — a vital partner  — for addressing the many peace, security and development challenges we face. We in the Horn of Africa are extremely mindful of this fact. We are particularly grateful for what the EU has done in Somalia for so long, but quietly and with great effect. We therefore hope that Europe will continue to remain true to the spirit of the strategic partnership that has been forged with Africa in tackling issues of mutual concern as well as in ensuring collective peace, security and prosperity. That is why we welcome the EU’s renewed commitment to investing in African peace and development as an investment in its own security and prosperity. Indeed, EU support for the promotion and maintenance of peace and security on our continent, inter alia, through its African Peace Facility, which is providing substantial amounts of funding to African Union-led peace support operations, has been quite significant. Its intention to make an initial contribution to the African Union Peace Fund once its governance structures are put in place, with a view to encouraging international support for the African Union’s requests for assistance for its peace support operations from United Nations assessed contributions, is also very much welcomed. Finally, in the light of the upcoming EU-Africa Summit, due to be held in Côte d’Ivoire later this year, we hope the strategic partnership between Africa and Europe will be further strengthened. We take note of the EU’s revitalized framework for joint action in that regard. In conclusion, we cannot overemphasize the significance of forging even stronger multilateral cooperation in partnership between the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and other relevant regional and international partners for sustainable peace, security and development in Africa.

At the outset, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for her comprehensive briefing on the European Union’s future priorities. I would also like to congratulate Ms. Mogherini and her delegation — and all European delegations in the Security Council — on the occasion of Europe Day. I also congratulate the delegation of the Russian Federation on the occasion of Victory Day. Egypt recognizes the important role played by regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. Their role in preventing, managing and settling conflicts is essential and growing. Egypt also calls for promoting and enhancing the relationship between the United Nations and such regional mechanisms in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Our world today is witness to great unprecedented challenges, including terrorism, radicalization, irregular migration, illegal trafficking in humans and drugs, piracy and transborder organized crime. Such challenges go beyond the capacity of any one party to resolve them alone. A concerted effort to address them is therefore needed at the regional and international levels. Given that the European Union has significant political and economic weight at the international level, it is one of the most influential international actors capable of contributing effectively to finding solutions to many of the challenges the world is facing today, in particular in the Middle East and Africa. Egypt recognizes the important role of the European Union in that regard, given the history, geography and challenges that link Europe to the Middle East and Africa. The EU’s recent adoption of its new Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy is noteworthy. Egypt trusts that the implementation of the Strategy will take place in full respect for the Charter of the United Nations and the general principles of international law, particularly the principle of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and in coordination with active regional actors, including taking their concerns into consideration to achieve common goals and purposes and avoid the mistakes of the past. The partnership between the United Nations and the EU is one of the major strategic partnerships between regional organizations. Such partnerships include the active engagement in a number of conflicts and crises that go beyond the immediate EU neighbourhood. Hence, the importance of the full integration between EU efforts and those of the United Nations in matters related to international peace and security. One of those main arenas is peacekeeping operations  — for example, in Africa. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic plays a central role in supporting efforts by national authorities to establish State authority and restore security throughout the country. The European Union Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic makes a significant contribution in that respect, as it provides training to the Central African Republic army military units as a part of security sector reform. In that connection, I would like to highlight the importance of forging coordination with the AU and other regional parties that are capable of building up the capacities of the Central African Republic army to accelerate that process, in response to the calls by the national authorities to do so. We also look forward to optimizing the role of the European Union Military Training Mission in Mali and the European Union Capacity Building Mission in Mali, in coordination with the United Nations and other international and regional partners. In conclusion, Egypt highly values Operation Sophia and underlines its important role in addressing illegal migration, given the loss of thousands of lives in the Mediterranean as a result. Egypt stresses the need to examine the possibility of expanding the mandate of the Operation to address the phenomenon of the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, weapons and funds to conflict zones, particularly Libya.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming your role as President of the Security Council, following a very successful Council field trip to Colombia. We look forward to a productive presidency this month. I also want to thank our American colleagues for a very effective presidency last month. Kazakhstan expresses its appreciation to the European Union High Representative, Ms. Mogherini, for her substantial briefing. The European Union (EU) is the major player in the maintenance of peace and security and the largest financial contributor to the United Nations, not only to the regular budget but also to official development assistance and peacekeeping missions. The many areas in which the United Nations and the EU cooperate include conflict prevention, counter-terrorism, maritime security, organized crime  — including the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings — and irregular migration. The two organizations work together to promote human rights, gender equality, access to energy, cybersecurity, space security and mitigation of climate-change impact. Their collaboration must increase as we jointly seek to address the complex threats and transnational crises. The EU also collaborates with key regional stakeholders, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the African Union (AU), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as other strategic partners, including Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The regional tensions intensifying in the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world will require greater interlinkages between the EU and regional and subregional organizations, as well as international and regional financial institutions. In addition to providing soldiers and police for United Nations peacekeeping missions, the EU cooperates effectively with global and regional organizations by fielding its own missions and operations within the framework of the Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy — in Africa, for example. The United Nations and the EU work successfully in peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel, Mali and Somalia. That is significant in the light of present-day geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts in the Great Lakes region, the Lake Chad basin and the Horn of Africa. Additionally, through its African Peace Facility, the EU has provided funds since 2004 to the African Union for peace missions and the development of an African Security Architecture. We believe that strength should be further developed. We support the joint communication to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council on migration on the central Mediterranean route, adopted on 25 January 2017, which identified priorities to be addressed through the mobilization of €200 million, under the North Africa window of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa in 2017. The priority focus of the Fund is on migration-related projects in Libya and North Africa, implemented with the cooperation of the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. We welcome the EU-organized Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, held on 4 and 5 April in Brussels. As a contribution to the joint efforts of the international community in addressing the urgent humanitarian and resilience needs inside Syria and supporting the efforts of neighbouring countries in hosting the refugees, that could be considered as a best practice to mobilize support for other humanitarian crises as well. As part of the EU’s commitment to the principles of multilateralism and in the light of the 2016 EU Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy, we encourage the EU’s engagement with regional and subregional organizations in Eurasia, which could serve as an additional instrument to respond more effectively to emerging threats to peace and security in our continent. Kazakhstan represents the Central Asian region, a region which is represented in the Security Council for the first time. We actively work together bilaterally and multilaterally in the EU Central Asia format. We strongly believe that joint efforts and the contribution of the United Nations and the European Union in making Central Asia a zone of peace, cooperation and security are thoroughly important to the maintenance of global stability. In that regard, the EU strategy for a new partnership for Central Asia is a platform for cooperation in Central Asia, given the unique geostrategic position of the region, linking the East and West together. As mentioned in the EU Global Strategy, peace and stability in Asia are a prerequisite for EU prosperity. In that regard, we consider the situation in Afghanistan vital to the security and stability of Central Asia. We have a genuine interest in the political settlement, socioeconomic development and recovery of that country, while emphasizing the importance of the security-development nexus through a holistic regional approach. It is our desire to create a template model in our part of the world of successful collaboration and connectivity, in line with the preventive agenda of Secretary-General Guterres and applicable for other regions. Another important part of the cooperation between the United Nations and the EU is the counter- terrorism agenda. It is crucial to strengthen the EU’s interaction with countries of Eurasia, the Western Balkans, West Africa, the Sahara-Sahel region, the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia  — together with global and regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, including the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. We believe that in the years to come the EU will continue its efforts to foster global peace, security and development. Before concluding, I would like to congratulate our European colleagues on the sixtieth anniversary of Europe Day. Today also marks the seventy-second anniversary of victory in the Second World War, and I would like to pay tribute to the war’s victims and to all who fought for our lives and freedom. I would like to congratulate war veterans on this important day and to express the hope that we will never see another such tragedy in the future.

We thank Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for her detailed briefing. I would first like to congratulate everyone on today’s seventy-second anniversary of the victory over fascism, an extraordinary event that changed the world for the better and laid the foundations for the United Nations. It made a genuine unification of Europe possible, not one based on the delusions of some about their superiority to others, but founded on equality and mutual respect. We fully share those values, which should constitute the pillars of today’s multipolar world. Russia has consistently advocated for the development and improvement of United Nations cooperation with regional and subregional mechanisms, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, and cooperation with the European Union (EU) is no exception. It, too, should be established on the basis of the Charter and in the framework of General Assembly resolution 65/276. We have seen the contribution that the European Union has made to solving many international problems and its emergence as a truly global player in the world arena. Russian-EU cooperation on many current issues on the international agenda has not stopped, despite the fact that relations between us have not been at their best in recent years. That is particularly noticeable in areas where Russia and the EU’s interests objectively coincide, on issues such as combating terrorism and drug trafficking, dialogues on migration and readmission, problems of disarmament and non-proliferation and situations in the Middle East, the Balkans, Africa and Asia, including Central Asia. Some good examples of Russia’s cooperation with the EU have been our joint efforts to settle the Iranian nuclear-programme issue, as well as our collaboration on internal security, on which we have regularly held constructive and useful talks on counter-terrorism. We are pleased with the ongoing positive experience of Russian-EU cooperation in providing security support, including in the EU operations and missions in Chad and the Central African Republic, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia. Unfortunately, the absence of a legal framework makes increasing our cooperation on crisis management difficult. Regrettably, however, current realities and discussions in the Security Council have shown that our European partners, rather than pursuing patient and careful teamwork, have often chosen destructive, unilateral approaches that can only leave us seriously concerned. We are disturbed by the European Union’s continuing use of unilateral sanctions that bypass the Security Council. In our view, such restrictive measures are illegitimate and counterproductive, especially since in most cases their expanded use over the past two decades has increased people’s suffering without in any way helping to settle the crises they are designed to resolve. Such practices undermine the legitimacy of the United Nations and damage the authority of the EU itself. Another example of illegal activity is the participation of the EU in the so-called coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; it has been conducting military operations in Syria without a mandate from the Security Council or an invitation from the Syrian Government. This undermines the international order based on international law, and not on no-one-knows-whose rules. It diminishes the prospects for a global anti-terrorism front coordinated by the United Nations and makes the fight against terrorism less effective overall. We have been closely following the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including the continued exodus of refugees from conflict-affected countries, and have regretfully concluded that this sad situation is the result of external interference in the internal affairs of States and aggressive policies in those regions, accompanied by violations of the Charter and Security Council resolutions. The European Union’s military Operation Sophia in the Southern Central Mediterranean has still not been able to handle its basic task of destroying the business model of the networks that are illegally transporting and smuggling people in the region. In the light of the Secretary-General’s latest report (S/2017/95/Rev.1) on the activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and what it says about the EU entities’ efforts there, it would be appropriate if, where EU efforts  — and those of regional organizations in crisis situations more generally  — interact with United Nations political entities, they were complementary to the work of the United Nations and aimed at implementing the internationally agreed-on parameters of the settlement in question. It is unacceptable for them to subordinate the resolution of the conflict to their own agendas and priorities. With regard to resolving the conflict in south- eastern Ukraine, there is no alternative to the established settlement framework of the Minsk package of measures. The efforts must focus on fulfilling the political provisions of the agreement, which include granting special status to the Donbas region and amnesty to its citizens, separating the parties and conducting humanitarian demining. None of that is possible without conducting a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Luhansk. Only Kyiv can start action on these political aspects, and it has been stubbornly refusing to do so. For the time being, Brussels has continued to display an antagonistic attitude on the issue through its anti-Russian sanctions, which does nothing but create a sense of impunity and irresponsibility in the Ukrainian authorities. Here is another example. At this time, when the world is once again celebrating the end of the Second World War, I would like to recall here the EU’s refusal to support draft resolutions submitted to the General Assembly by Russia on combating the glorification of Nazism (resolution 71/179). We should not ignore the acute problem of neo-Nazism in countries that Brussels protects, including the Baltic States and Ukraine, let alone play with that sort of fire for the sake of fleeting political goals. Europe should have learned that lesson by now. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that for our part we are committed to full cooperation with the European Union in working for common strategic goals. However, that should take place exclusively on a equal footing taking full account of each other’s interests and concerns.

I would first like to thank the Uruguayan delegation for organizing today’s meeting  — on a day that is a celebration as much for the United Nations as it is for the European Union — on cooperation between the two organizations, this time from the point of view of the European Union. I would also like to welcome Ms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Secretary-General Guterres for his leadership and efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of the United Nations and provide its good offices with the aim of improving the management of conflict situations and crises around the world. Right now, there are many conflicts and crises around the world that require close collaboration between the United Nations and its various partners, particularly the subregional organizations that, as we all know, play a vital role in the maintenance of international peace and security. In that regard, the European Union, firmly anchored in its values, understanding and know-how, which Ms. Mogherini so elegantly describes as “the European way”, and given the human, institutional, technological and financial means at its disposal, has dedicated itself to remaining a major partner — indeed, a strategic one  — of the United Nations and many other regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union. That is important both for the maintenance of international peace and security and the prevention of conflicts. Allow me to recall some important documents that continue to serve as strategic multisectoral frameworks for relations between the United Nations and the European Union in the areas of crisis management and peacekeeping. Those documents include the 2003 and 2007 Joint Declarations on United Nations-European Union Cooperation in Crisis Management, and the plan of action to strengthen support provided by the European Union Security and Defence Policy to United Nations peacekeeping operations, which was adopted in 2012 by the Political and Security Committee of the European Union. That document, it should be recalled, identifies the ways and means of cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations, as well as priority measures jointly applied in past years by the two organizations, as pertains in particular to increased contributions of uniformed personnel by European Union member States, planning and coordination, cooperation in general policy and guidelines, as well as lessons learned from experience and training. As underscored in the 1 April 2015 report of the Secretary-General (S/2015/229), communication and coordination activities conducted at the strategic level between the European Union and the United Nations in peacekeeping and crisis management take on various forms. Bridges between the two organizations include the formal biannual meeting of the Security Council with representatives from the Political and Security Committee of the European Union. That meeting provides an opportunity to review peacekeeping operations and other matters related to peace and security. Furthermore, there are high-level meetings dealing with the review of strategic issues, in particular periodic briefings by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the Security Council. There are also presentations from high United Nations officials to the Political and Security Committee in Brussels. Moreover, let us not forget the biannual meeting of the United Nations-European Union Steering Committee on Crisis Management, which is co-chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and the Deputy Secretary- General of the European External Action Service. We could present an exhaustive list of European actions for international peace and security. However, simply by way of example, I would note the contribution of the European Union to African peace and security efforts, including in the Central African Republic, Somalia, Mali and, more broadly speaking, the fight against illegal trafficking of all types, the fight against terrorism and the management of the migrant crises. Simultaneously, with contributions to peace and security, we would underscore the numerous actions of the European Union in the area of prevention that seek to address the root causes of conflict. The United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel is a striking example, as is the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative, which is part of the same line of effort. The European Union provides significant contributions to the work of the United Nations. It cooperates with all bodies, agencies and programmes of the Organization and is involved in almost all United Nations activities, from development policy and rebuilding peace to humanitarian assistance and protection of the environment, human rights and even culture. The European Union is involved in activities in all the regions of the world. The 28 European Union members are the primary donors for the United Nations system, in terms of the regular budget of the Organization, peacekeeping operations, as well as funds and programmes. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that as seen from Dakar, the European Way applies universally to the United Nations, regionally to the African Union, subregionally to the Economic Community of West African States, and nationally to my country. Ethiopia, which was mentioned by Ms. Mogherini earlier, is a member of the Security Council and engages in effective cooperation to manage the migrant crisis and other transboundary issues.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of Uruguay. I thank Ms. Mogherini for her detailed and informative statement. Allow me to congratulate her, and through her all States members of the European Union, on the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Rome Treaty, a date that coincides with the seventy- second anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Uruguay attaches the utmost importance to cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. The challenges of the twenty-first century are too numerous and complex to be addressed only within the United Nations. It Is essential to revitalize Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United in order to make the outstanding work more effective, and to progressively guarantee international peace and security. We acknowledge the important work that the European Union does in the field of international peace and security. The ongoing support that the European Union offers to various countries through the deployment of a variety of instruments — from good practices, mediation, support for the development of national institutions and capacities, as well as training, funding and equipping peacekeeping operations authorized by the Council, among others — provides the multilateral system with a committed and effective actor in the search for solutions that ensure sustainable peace. In that regard, the European Security and Defence Policy is a fundamental and complementary part that allows the multilateral system machinery to work properly. The European Union and the United Nations work jointly in several peacekeeping contexts. The European Union provides training and support for security-sector reform in, for example, the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia. Furthermore, the European Union performs relevant work in the Balkans. I would highlight the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, under the auspices of the United Nations, as well as its contribution to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the 2015 Minsk agreements. In Bosnia and Herzegovina the presence of the European Union-led multinational stabilization force represents a guarantee for the political and social stability of the country. Uruguay is strongly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights. In that connection, it is understood that there can be no sustainable development, peace or security without respect for human rights. That is why human rights follow-up and monitoring is essential to early warning and the ability to take preventive measures in time. For that reason I cannot fail to mention the women and peace and security agenda, to which the European Union, like Uruguay, attaches the utmost importance. Women play an essential role in achieving peaceful societies, whether in prevention or in the solution of conflicts. Among the most vulnerable groups are refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants. Uruguay belongs to a region in which the phenomenon of migration has been a fundamental element of its past and present. It has welcomed European immigrants throughout its history and, more recently, during the various wars that have impacted that continent. Without any doubt, the phenomenon of migration is a very complex issue because it encompasses aspects of security, development and human rights. It is essential to develop comprehensive plans so as to help protect those in vulnerable situations. Uruguay therefore does not subscribe to the approach that criminalizes migration. On the contrary, it believes that it is necessary to attack the underlying causes that facilitate taking advantage of people in need in extremely precarious situations by criminal groups. Lastly, Uruguay notes the policies and new regulatory frameworks of the European Union in the area of ​prevention and combating terrorism. Terrorism is undoubtedly one of the primary threats facing peace and international security. In addition to destroying human lives, it jeopardizes the rule of law, democracy, peaceful coexistence between civilizations, and economic and social development. We are aware that the list of areas in which the European Union has a substantial role has not been exhausted in our statement. It is a matter of acknowledging that the extraordinary process of European integration is a model that has contributed to peace among its members and, we trust, will continue to contribute to international peace and security. I now resume my functions as President of the Council.