Foreign Minister George Vella joined other EU Ministers at an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels today, which focused exclusively on the crisis in Ukraine.

During the discussion, Dr Vella joined other Ministers in condemning the indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, which as part of the recent escalation in violence on the ground, has led to an unfortunate loss of life. The Minister called on all sides to implement their commitments under the Minsk agreements, and welcomed the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Kiev. Minister Vella joined others in emphasising that the meetings of this group are an important step the pursuit of an end to the violence.

As agreed by Heads of State or Government in their Statement of 27 January 2015, the Council decided to extend restrictive measures targeting persons responsible for threatening or undermining Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Minister Vella emphasised the need for such action to aim specifically at the meaningful implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Minister Vella also welcomed the work of the OSCE, especially as regards their presence on the ground. As one way of supporting the EU's policies regarding Ukraine, Minister Vella supported the need for the EU to improve its strategic communication, in particular with a view to the EU's support for Ukraine, and through welcoming the European Commission's proposal for macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.