Prior to the meeting, Foreign Ministers and Ministers of Defense held an exchange of views on building member states' resilience to hybrid threats. They also paid significant attention to the situation in the Persian Gulf, discussed Iran's actions in relation to its non-compliance with the nuclear deal, the tense situation around the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Yemen's political unrest.
Priorities for Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU include a determination to promote the stability of the Arctic region. Thus, Ministers discussed the Arctic policy, laying special emphasis on climate change, free navigation, as well as increased involvement of the EU in the region.
As regards regional cooperation with the Western Balkans countries, Ministers discussed prospects for integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU and the strengthening of the EU regional cooperation with these countries. L. Linkevičius said that Lithuania supported the EU's credible enlargement policy based on a case-by-case approach. According to Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, the EU's enlargement process should be based on concrete reforms, not on the calendar date.
