Joint statement, European Intervention Initiative meeting

Today, Ministers of  Defence, or their representatives, of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom met in Stockholm, Sweden, to exchange views on current security and defence challenges.

The Ministers or their representatives shared important lessons so far identified after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, including views on the implications for European coordination and capability requirements, and for transatlantic cooperation.

The Ministers or their representatives were briefed by France on the security situation in Mali. They underlined the importance of the political transition in Mali and that elections are held within the agreed time frame. They also expressed serious concern over possible cooperation between Malian authorities and foreign mercenaries. Furthermore, they discussed their continued commitment to the fight against global and regional terrorism and the contribution EI2 can make through exchange of information and analysis.

The Ministers or their representatives received a timely update by Portugal on the situation in Cabo Delgado, and the process of launching the European Union training mission in Mozambique and took note of the initial positive results.

The Ministers or their representatives were briefed by Sweden on the Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad-21, and by Finland on the first results of the Working Group on Disinformation.

Lastly, the Ministers or their representatives discussed the future of EI2 cooperation, and how to strengthen its capacity to tackle current and future security challenges and deliver concrete outputs by streamlining the flow of information between its various components.