Sanna Marin, Finnish Prime Minister represents Sweden at the meeting

Описание: At Friday's working dinner, EU leaders will discuss, for example, EU-Turkey relations and Mediterranean tensions. Finland wants a strong EU response to Turkey's actions. https://www.eudebates.tv/debates/eu-p... #eudebates #Turkey #Cyprus #debates #HagiaSophia #Migration #Borrell #Turkey #Ankara #Erdogan #Anastasiades

EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Friday afternoon for an extraordinary summit, the hottest of which will be the Union's external relations.

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In addition to Finland, Prime Minister Sanna Marin (sd) will represent Sweden at the meeting, as Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will be absent from the meeting due to his mother's funeral.

Sweden asked Finland for help, as at the summits the representative of each member state must be the head of state or government.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister's Undersecretary of State for European Affairs Jari Luoto said that the Prime Ministers' staffs have worked closely together in recent days so that the positions desired by Finland and Sweden will be presented at the summit.

In practice, representing Sweden means that Marin presents the views of both countries at the same time in his speeches.

Close cooperation will also continue during the meeting.

Sweden will send its own delegation to Brussels, including Hans Dahlgren, the European Minister for Europe.

According to Luoto, it is also possible to call Löfven in the middle of a meeting if the situation requires it.

Finland wants a strong EU response to Turkey's actions

At Friday's dinner, the leaders will discuss, for example, EU-Turkey relations and Mediterranean tensions.

The atmosphere in the eastern Mediterranean has recently intensified due to Turkey’s controversial gas exploration.

Among EU countries, the situation is particularly acute in Greece and Cyprus, but many other Member States have also expressed concern about rising tensions.

Charles Michel, who is chairing the summits, has said that the aim is to establish a dialogue with Turkey in order to safeguard stability and security in the region and to ensure that the sovereignty of EU countries is respected.

This is only possible if Turkey is involved constructively.

All options are still on the table to defend the interests of the EU and its member states, Michel said in his letter of invitation to EU leaders.

The Finnish government has stated that the EU should respond strongly to Turkey's destabilizing actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and that diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue will continue.

The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean is also intertwined with the current dilemma over sanctions against Belarus.

In August, the EU reached a political agreement to impose sanctions on those responsible for the violence or electoral fraud in Belarus.

However, no consensus has been found on the actual sanctions list.

The road to reconciliation has been mainly Cyprus, which has demanded that, in addition to sanctions against Belarus, the EU impose sanctions on Turkey at the same time.

Consensus slows down decision-making

Indeed, the rigidity of decision-making has sparked a debate on whether, on certain external relations issues, a qualified majority of Member States should be used instead of the current unanimity.

In the second week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that member states introduce qualified majority voting, at least when it comes to human rights or sanctions.

However, in his speech this week, Charles Michel defended the consensus.

It is true that the requirement of unanimity slows down decision-making and sometimes even prevents it.

But the demand urges us to work relentlessly for the unity of the member states, Michel said in a speech to the Bruegel incubator in Brussels.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) has said earlier that Finland would be ready to decide on sanctions against Belarus, for example, by a qualified majority.

The summit will continue until tomorrow

The EU summit today will also address the EU's relations with China, as well as other current international issues, such as the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The meeting will continue on Saturday with issues related to the EU internal market.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders will also receive a brief overview of the current situation of Britain's resignation from the EU.

A deeper Brexit debate will remain at the next summit later this month.
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