This marked Asselborn's 13th annual foreign policy speech, claiming it was far from business as usual with the current crises throughout the world that Luxembourg too must affront.
The minister referred to a number of key topics in his speech, including the European elections, nationalism in Europe, Brexit, and climate change policies.
His main assertion is that Europe must not remain thoughtless and complacent in the face of lies spread about the European Union and the questioning of core European values.
As for equality and justice, Asselborn affirmed that Europe's wealth must be spread fairly. In that endeavour, the union must fight social dumping. To that end, the Grand Duchy supports a communal labour authority for the EU.
The new 2019 European Commission will be faced with the task of optimising the European single market and Asselborn explained that Luxembourg will be actively involved in developing the strategic agenda for 2019-2024 in the EU.
He also stressed that Europe needs stable trade policies. Luxembourg supports the idea of modernising the World Trade Organisation. Asselborn also claimed a trade war between the US and Europe would be highly illogical.
He then turned to Brexit, explaining that the UK's prime minister Theresa May has put the lead on negotiating Brexit in the hands of parliament as she lost her latest meaningful vote. He stated that the potential extension of Article 50 cannot have the purpose of trying to scrap the backstop.
Moving away from Europe, Asselborn spoke about relations with certain central Asian countries, notably Afghanistan. The minister was in Afghanistan for a visit last week. He also discussed Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. As for Syria, his position was clear that the country cannot be normalised or receive further aid without political changes, noting that the same dictatorship remains in charge of the country since the beginning of the conflict.
Asselborn also depicted a dark image of Venezuela, calling it a political and a humanitarian crisis. He confirmed that Luxembourg is supporting the work of the international contact group, which is seeking to find a peaceful resolution.
The minister also criticised the dissolution of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), explaining that it does not only affect the US and Russia, but also affects the Europeans caught in the middle. He stressed the importance of having the Americans and Russians meet together in the next five months in order to not lose the international relations of trust.
On Thursday, the Chamber of Deputies will debate the minister's speech. The debate begins at 2pm.
Foreign Minister Asselborn's Annual Foreign Policy Speech to the Chamber of Deputies
Congratulations to Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn for his thorough and comprehensive report regarding world issues, challenges, and paths forward. It reflected his lifetime of experience, depth of knowledge, and appreciation for not only the dynamics at play, but also the players on the world stage. I look forward to studying in more detail his thoughts in the coming days. One point that he made merits emphasis. So, I would extend his remarks to say: “There is no single step that would advance our planet closer to peace and prosperity for all, than the empowerment of all women throughout the world.”
-Ambassador Randy Evans
