General Affairs and External Relations Council (26/10/2009)
The meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), which occurs every month, brings together Foreign Ministers of the Member States.
This month the meeting is over two days from 26-27 October and will cover a large number of issues including the Middle East and the recent UN Goldstone report on Gaza, the Western Balkans, Iran, climate change and the upcoming European Council.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband attended the General Affairs session which was dominated by the October European Council which takes place later this week 29-30 October.
David Miliband also spoke on climate change and the recently launched four degree map as part of the run up to the Copenhagen climate change conference in December.
Minister for Europe Chris Bryant chaired meetings on Tuesday which covered Afghanistan / Pakistan, the Middle East Peace Process, Sri Lanka, Guinea, Moldova and Somalia.
Speaking from Luxembourg on 26 October, Christ Bryant said:
'I think overwhelmingly on key issues like climate change, on relations with China, with India, with all the big trading blocks or for that matter on issues like the Middle East Peace Process or Zimbabwe, we need Europe to be far more effective on the global stage. That's not Europe instead of Britain, it's Europe as well as Britain'.
Notes for Editors
Strong Britain in a strong Europe
UK foreign policy news
- UK and Georgia cooperate on conflict resolution (26/11/2009)
- Good wishes for Eid al-Adha (26/11/2009)
- UK standing shoulder to shoulder with India (26/11/2009)
- FCO hosts British-Arab community (26/11/2009)
- UK continues to call for full settlement freeze (25/11/2009)
- Global call for end to violence against women (25/11/2009)
- Trial begins on human rights abuses in DRC (25/11/2009)
- Commonwealth leaders head to Trinidad & Tobago (25/11/2009)
- UK support for Kosovo is robust and enduring (24/11/2009)
- Afghanistan is number one foreign policy priority (24/11/2009)