On Friday, the informal meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers starts in Stockholm. Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt, after consultation with the other ministers, is intending to recreate the relaxed atmosphere of the first meeting of foreign ministers at Gymnich Castle in 1974.

“The idea of Gymnich was to discuss foreign policy issues in a relaxed setting by the fireside, away from the eyes of the media”, said Cecilia Julin, Head of Information Services at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at a press briefing on Thursday. She went on:
“Since then the number of ministers has tripled and the meetings have become more formal. The trademark for this meeting in Stockholm should be informality.”

The meeting will be held at Moderna Museet (the Museum of Modern Art) and the Swedish Museum of Architecture on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm. Tomorrow, once the ministers have arrived, discussions will address issues relating to the Middle East, including the situation in Iran and the peace process. The EU’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, who has travelled in the region, will report from his meetings.
“One of the issues that will be raised is what the EU can do to support the peace process”, said Cecilia Julin.

On Saturday the discussions will focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan and the EU’s work there. Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt has just visited Afghanistan and will talk about his visit. The EU’s role as a global actor will also be a topic of discussion. The foreign ministers from the candidate countries Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey will join the EU ministers for a lunch discussion on the theme of continued EU enlargement.