French, German, Polish foreign ministers to meet near Paris
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“Weimar Triangle” ministers (from left) France’s Stephane Sejourne, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock and Poland’s Radoslaw Sikorski will meet near Paris on Feb 12.
PHOTOS: AFP, EPA-EFE
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PARIS - Foreign ministers from the “Weimar Triangle” of France, Germany and Poland will meet on Feb 12 near Paris to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, a French diplomatic source said on Feb 9.
The gathering at the Chateau de la Celle-Saint-Cloud, west of the French capital, “is very important given the highly unpredictable and unstable international context, which will require a strong Europe,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
“We need to generate some momentum again,” they added.
The Weimar format brings together three of the 27-member European Union’s most populous and militarily strong nations.
Efforts to reinvigorate it follow a change of leadership in Poland, where former European Council chief Donald Tusk has taken over from the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
In Ukraine, all three ministers – France’s Stephane Sejourne, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock and Poland’s Radoslaw Sikorski – “share the objective... (of) finding the resources to help Ukraine win this war” against Russian invaders, the diplomatic source said.
For Paris, “if there is a gap between the Russian and Ukrainian efforts, it must be filled,” they added.
The ministers will also discuss the danger of US support for Kyiv falling away should Donald Trump reclaim the White House in November.
France’s Mr Sejourne recently returned from a visit to the Middle East.
He will raise with his counterparts the fight against terrorism, freeing hostages still held in Gaza, sanctions against Palestinian militant group Hamas and violent Israeli colonists in the West Bank, a possible humanitarian ceasefire and efforts to avoid a regional war breaking out.
The foreign ministers plan to make a joint statement and hold a press conference when the meeting ends around 5.15pm (12.15am on Feb 13, Singapore time). AFP
