03 Oct 2006, 13:38
During the second the day of their informal meeting, the EU Defence Ministers discussed civil-military coordination in crisis management, the EU’s role in Lebanon and the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Finnish Minister of Defence, Seppo Kääriäinen, said that during its Presidency Finland has promoted civil-military coordination by placing particular emphasis on situational awareness. The Ministers agreed that the presence of the international community is needed to stabilise conditions in Lebanon. The EU’s role is to support Lebanon in its efforts to establish national defence forces and, more generally, to strengthen the structures of civil society.
The Ministers also discussed the future of the EU’s operation in Congo. According to the Ministers, the operation has, so far, been a success.
The two press conferences for the meeting were webcast and can be viewed as recordings from the archive on this website.