Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov took part in the extraordinary informal video conference meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council
17 April 2024 News
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov took part in the extraordinary informal video conference meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 16 April 2024.
The meeting was convened by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to discuss the unprecedented attack by Iran’s drone and missile strikes on Israel on the night of 14 April 2024. The Council firmly condemned the attack, which led to a further escalation and deepening of instability in the Middle East region. A strong call for a reduction in tensions and for all sides to refrain from further attacks has been made, stressing the importance of coordination with the US, the UK and Arab partners.
The possibility of extending EU restrictive measures against Iran was raised. In addition, the EU foreign ministers expressed their confidence that there can be no lasting peace in the Middle East without an end to hostilities in Gaza, the release of all hostages kidnapped by Hamas, and increased access to humanitarian aid in Gaza to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation there.
In his statement, the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's actions and reaffirmed the need to guarantee Israel's security as well as regional security. He appealed for restraint to prevent further escalation. He stressed that at the moment there is a need to reduce tensions through diplomatic means, in coordination with the Gulf Cooperation Council partners as well as the G7 countries.