EU tackles situation the Middle East

BRUSSELS, The EU Foreign Affairs Council discussed on Monday the situation in the Middle East, with particular attention to the ever-worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip and the risk of escalation in the wider region. The Council once more stressed that everyone in the region needs to exercise restraint and take steps to de-escalate. Further steps were agreed in relation to Iran´s destabilizing activities in the region. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said in the press conference in the end of the meeting that they "have reached a political agreement in order to enlarge and expand the existing drones regime to impose sanctions to Iran in order to cover missiles and their potential transfers to Russia, this includes missile production-; second, to expand the geographical area of this framework to cover drone and missile deliveries not only to Russia but to the whole region of the Middle East and the Red Sea; and third to expand the list of prohibited drone components." Concerning Gaza, the High Representative underlined that there was no progress on release of hostages, no prospect of a ceasefire, nor real easing of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. Furthermore, he stressed that there will be no lasting stability in the region as long as the war in Gaza continues. EU Ministers agreed to invite once more the Israeli Foreign Minister to a future meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, as well as the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Source: Kuwait News Agency