By KUNA,
Brussels : The Council of the European Union (EU) will begin here Monday its preparatory meetings for the European summit to be held on December 11 and 12.
A source from the council told KUNA that the two-day meetings of Foreign, Defense, and Development ministers will discuss international issues, the world economic crisis, and European defense and security policies.
The council will also prepare the agenda of the summit which will include items related to the Lisbon Treaty, financial stability and monitoring, the world financial system, unemployment, scientific and technical development, energy, climate change, and agricultural policies, he said.
He added that European foreign ministers will discuss the preparations for the European-Russian summit to be held in France on November 14 and evaluate halting negotiations with Russia, a decision approved by the council during its summit last September that followed the Russian-Georgian conflict.
He said the European ministerial council will discuss the situation in Congo and French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner will present the outcomes of his visit to the country October 31, after fighting erupted in the Kivu region.
He stressed that the EU is keen on finding a diplomatic solution for the problem, calling all sides to respect the ceasefire and cooperate to reach a political solution.
The ministerial council will also discuss the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, Iraq, Lebanon, and in Afghanistan, and the EU’s relations with China, and will assess cooperation with Africa, he pointed out.
The foreign and defense ministers will discuss issues relating to the European security and defense ministries, the situation in Afghanistan and west Balkan, and an initiative of exchanging soldiers, the source said.
He noted that the council will extend the activities of the EU’s legal commission in Iraq to next June and extend the presence of the EU’s commission supporting the Palestinian Police two years to December 31, 2010, adding that the monitoring commission at Rafah Crossing will also stay till November 24, 2009.
Meanwhile, defense ministers will discuss the preparations of the European legal commission to be sent to Kosovo next December, he added.
Development ministers will focus on the effects of the food price increase and world economic crisis on developing countries, he said.
The European ministers will study a joint strategy on the participation of EU members in the United Nations meeting on economy for development to be held in Doha from November 29 to December 2, he also pointed out.
They will also discuss the impact of the financial and economic crisis on development aid, he added.