Arriving at the the today’s Foreign Affair Council High Represntative expressed his condoleance tot he widos of the Russian human rights defender, Alexei Navalni, who passed away ont he week-end.
« Today, we will have here with us his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who will send a message, a political message, about how to support the political opposition inside Russia against Putin’s regime. And to pay an homage to Mr Navalny and in order to honour his memory, I will propose the Ministers to rename our Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime with his name and call it the “Navalny Human Rights Sanctions Regime”, in order for his name to be forever written on the work of the European Union in defending human rights. „- ha suggested.
He pointed out that during this weekend, many people have been demonstrating in the streets of Russia, in Sankt Petersburg and Moscow, in spite of the repression. Many of them have been detained and sentenced. »
We have to send a message of support to the Russian opposition and at the same time, we will continue watching how the war is developing. It is about two years since Putin launched this war against Ukraine, and he does not look ready to stop it, on the contrary.” -Mr. Borrell said.
He added that because of these events in both fronts, in the political one and the military one, EU has to continue our support to Ukraine and to the Russian people who want to be living in freedom.
Talking about human rights, he said that at the meeting participants discuss about the situation in the Middle East, He mentionded that the EEAS, Foreign Service of the EU issued a statement this weekend. „Unhappily, it was not a unanimous statement. I had to do it on my own, representing the great majority of the Member States – but not all of them – asking Israel not to launch a military offensive in Rafah. „- Mr. Borrell said.
« We will also have the United Nations Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Reconstruction for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag] who will debrief the Ministers about her work. In the meantime, well, nothing new but only the same bad news: 1.7 million people are being pushed against the Egyptian border. „ – he said.
According tot he High Commissioner the military operation has not reached a high, but everybody is afraid that this will happen in the next days. The only solution is to free the hostages, and a permanent ceasefire that could allow to look for a political solution, he said.
