The opening part of the debate on Syria took place in the presence of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, who briefed the participants on the current situation and reported on his efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict. This was followed by an exchange of views by ministers on options for further EU engagement.

The ministers went on to hold an exchange of views on Libya and political instability in the country, confirming the importance of holding the presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible. They were planned for December but have since been postponed indefinitely. Minister Logar expressed concern about the political crisis in Libya and the postponement of the elections, calling for a new date to be set at the earliest possible opportunity. The current political situation must not become a lever for destabilising the country, and further support for the implementation of the ceasefire is therefore imperative. With regard to irregular migration, the Council recalled the importance of cooperation with regional partners such as Niger, Chad, and Sudan. It also called for a unified EU approach in addressing the situation.

The ministers also discussed the worrying situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border, where the Russian Federation continues to build up military forces. They adopted Council conclusions on the security situation in Europe, which summarised the ministerial arrangements at the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Brest in January, with the basic principles underpinning further EU engagement with the Russian Federation and discussions on European security. In parallel, they agreed to prepare for the adoption of possible additional EU restrictive measures in the event of aggression by the Russian Federation on Ukraine.

Minister Logar expressed his satisfaction with the adoption of the Council conclusions with agreed principles for a further and coordinated EU approach. He called for a diplomatic solution and an end to the escalation of tensions provoked by Russia. In the context of a possible escalation, the Council called for a single and swift EU response, including restrictive measures in coordination with international partners, notably NATO and the US.

In the concluding part of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the ministers exchanged views on the security situation in eastern Ukraine with US Secretary of State Blinken. In this context, Minister Logar stressed the need to further coordinate EU-US activities and to maintain unambiguous messages about the consequences for Russia in the event of aggression on Ukraine.

Before the start of the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister Logar also attended an informal breakfast with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah. Following the breakfast, he also met with Sheikh Al-Sabah for a separate discussion to review the status of bilateral relations between Slovenia and Kuwait and the state of relations between the EU and Kuwait and the Gulf States Community (GCC).