The U.S. disengagement from Afghanistan and Africa affects the security and defence policy of the EU, which will require the latter to improve its set of tools to deal with regional conflicts, an official said.
The German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, said this in Berlin on Thursday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to lead to even greater instability in our region.
“We are dealing with destabilising actors in a number of countries – just think of Ukraine, Syria or Libya.
“The U.S. is withdrawing not only from Afghanistan but also from Africa.’’
“For the EU, this can only mean one thing: we need a set of tools to resolve conflicts in neighbouring countries.
“And this toolbox, ladies and gentlemen, is our common security and defence policy,’’ Maas said at the opening of the European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management in Berlin.
According to the minister, during its presidency in the EU Council, Germany wants to make the coordination of the EU countries in the field of security and defence more effective and permanent.
“To achieve sustainable peace, we need an ‘integrated approach’.
“Consequently, civil crisis management should be at the centre of European foreign and security policy,’’ Maas added.
The Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management was established in February at Germany’s initiative.
The institution will serve as a centre of knowledge for gathering and sharing national models as well as experiences.
It will also draw up concrete proposals on how European civilian crisis management can be further developed in terms of concept and practice.
