At his first meeting with the recently appointed secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, Luxembourg’s minister of foreign affairs, Jean Asselborn, yesterday called for strong international commitment to a resolution of the conflicts rocking the Middle East.

For his part, the Secretary-General outlined the ongoing UN reform efforts and the role that the EU should play in this process. In this context, Minister Asselborn recalled the importance of a strong, united and open EU, faithful to the multilateralism that is part of its identity.

During his stay in New York, Minister Asselborn also met with the group of Arab countries to discuss a series of conflict situations in North Africa and the Middle East. He also stressed the importance of political and inclusive solutions for conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

With regard to the peace process in the Middle East, he pointed out that, beyond the question of the settlements, compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2334 is a condition for the viability and sustainability of the two-state solution.

At a working meeting with another group of ambassadors to the United Nations representing a wide range of international community, Minister Asselborn exchanged ideas, reflections and proposals for action on some of the major challenges facing this community and for which cooperation within the United Nations offers solutions. This is true for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the follow-up to the Paris Climate Agreement and the initiated process in September 2018 for the adoption of a global pact on migration. All these challenges can only be met with an organisation reformed in its means of action in its internal organisation given the uncertainties weighing on its financial resources.