EU Member States are serious about protecting the @IntlCrimCourt and a world governed by international law. In The Hague, I met ICC President Tomoko Akane to convey the EU’s strong support for the Court, its judges, and their work. The European Council has expressed its deep regret over the U.S. announcement to impose sanctions against the ICC and has urged to reverse them. The EU will use the next six months for dialogue, to find a solution and explore what more we can do to help the Court. The Sakharov Prize recognises the ICC’s vital work in giving victims of the gravest crimes a voice. The Court must remain able to pursue justice independently, free from pressure or intimidation.

I had an extensive discussion with my colleague @HakanFidan on a range of issues. Good neighbourly relations and advancing the Cyprus settlement process are of high importance. I raised yesterday’s Libyan vote on a maritime MoU with Türkiye and stressed that it infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states. On Russia’s dangerous Black Sea escalation, I emphasised the need to step up the pressure on Moscow to end the war. The EU and Türkiye both support a Black Sea freedom of navigation arrangement. We also addressed developments in the South Caucasus and across the Middle East. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemen are textbook terror tactics and must end. In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is making shipping dangerous and expensive. Freedom of navigation must be restored without tolls or fees.

The Arctic has become a frontline of global power competition. The EU’s updated Arctic strategy reflects this new reality by putting security firmly at its core. Europe will bolster its role in the High North by: 🔹 strengthening surveillance and satellite monitoring, 🔹 better protecting critical undersea infrastructure via an Arctic Cable Hub, 🔹 expanding Europe’s icebreaker capacity, 🔹 investing in new technologies fit for extreme environments, 🔹 improving military mobility. My press remarks with @JozefSikela ↓