Foreign Affairs Council
Agenda Item 1: Energy Trade and Cooperation with Partners within the Global Gateway Framework
Agenda Item 2: EU Assistance to Post-War Rebuilding Efforts in Ukraine
Under-Secretaries-General: Burak Eren Ceyhan, Umut Barış Doğan
Introduction to the Foreign Affairs Council
The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is a configuration of the Council of the European Union that is primarily responsible for making decisions about the EU’s foreign affairs. The FAC, within the scope of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), convenes at the ministerial level to discuss matters regarding foreign policy, defence and security, trade, development cooperation, and humanitarian aid. The FAC usually meets at least once a month. In EUROsimA 2024, the FAC will be working on two agenda items.
Introduction to the Agenda Items
1) Energy Trade and Cooperation with Partners within the Global Gateway Framework is an agenda item that carries the utmost importance for the EU. Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War, European states and citizens have had to carry the burden of political and economic instability in the energy market. The ministers are thus expected to come up with feasible energy policy decisions within the framework set by the Global Gateway Initiative;discussion on the prospects of energy cooperation with global partners is especially critical in that regard. The decisions to be taken by the ministers will prove vital for ensuring Europe’s long-term prosperity.
2) Ukraine has been enduring the gruelling invasion aimed at achieving Putin's imperialistic ideals for the last two years. When what seemed like it would be a nation fallen in a few days turned into a resistance with victorious major counter-offensives in the summer of 2022, Ukraine brought much optimism unto itself and broke the widespread fear against the Russian army across the globe. However, this victory brought complacency to European nations; the battle stagnated in 2023 and turned dire in 2024 as stockpiles became expended, logistics failed, and the promised aid came late and proved deficient. Amidst a conflict that extended far beyond the expectations of even the most optimistic of predictions and brought destruction of unseen scales in Europe since the Second World War, the ministers will have the opportunity to make decisions that will shape both the outcome of the war and the success of post-war rebuilding efforts.