HRVP Federica Mogherini holds bilateral meetings in the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, had today a series of bilateral meetings in the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bonn, which she is attending.

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, had today a series of bilateral meetings in the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bonn, which she is attending.

The situations in Syria and Libya, as well as the Israelo-Palestinian conflict were at the heart of the exchange between High Representative Mogherini and the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. In particular, the HR/VP updated Secretary General Guterres on the EU's regional initiative on Syria and on the conference on the future of Syria and the region that will be held in Spring in Brussels, in support to the UN process. Mogherini stressed the steadfast support of the European Union to the United Nations and the determination to cooperate in the multilateral framework to address all the main challenges.

Mogherini met this afternoon with the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi. They discussed the overall EU-China agenda for 2017 and namely the EU-China Strategic Dialogue and Summit, which are due to take place soon. Minister Wang invited the High Representative to visit Beijing in the coming weeks and she accepted the invitation. Also on the agenda of the meeting was cooperation on climate change and on security challenges, trade and investment, and the main international dossiers, from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to Syria, from the Middle East to Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear agreement.

The High Representative also had a meeting with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Mobashar Jawed Akbar. They discussed the ongoing preparation of this year's EU-India Summit, the possible re-launching of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement, and the developments in the region, particularly in Afghanistan. Federica Mogherini accepted an invitation to visit India, with the aim to strengthening and deepening bilateral cooperation. 

In the framework of Transatlantic relations, Mogherini held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Christya Freeland, and of Brasil, Jose Serra. 

The meeting with Freeland took place after the European Parliament yesterday gave its consent to the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and was an occasion to discuss the opportunities created by the two deals and to stress the willingness to strengthen the cooperation between the European Union and Canada.

In her conversation with Minister Serra, Mogherini underlined the long-standing relationship between the European Union and Brasil, based on strong political, cultural and historical ties - covering areas such as political cooperation, trade, investment, climate change and relations with Mercosur – that they are both engaged in deepening. The HR/VP has accepted the invitation of minister Serra to visit Brasil at the earliest convenience.