EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) to meet in Luxembourg

The External Relations Council will be chaired by Czech Foreign Minister and GAERC President Schwarzenberg; the General Affairs Council will be presided over by Czech Deputy PM for European Affairs Vondra.

The External Relations Council will address the European Neighbourhood Policy, Burma/Myanmar, the Middle East peace process, Ukraine, transatlantic relations in the context of the EU-USA summit, and Sri Lanka.

Four other meetings will be held in relation to the Council: on 27 April, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg will attend the meeting of the EU-Croatia Stabilisation and Association Council and Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Kohout will participate in the EU-Egypt Association Council meeting. On 28 April, Minister Schwarzenberg will take part in the meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council and Deputy Minister Jan Kohout will attend the EU Troika – African Union meeting.

The General Affairs Council, headed by Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra, will discuss above all the accession talks with Croatia, the preparation of the South Corridor Summit and the Employment Summit, which will take place in Prague on 7 and 8 May 2009.