Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA) in partnership with civil society leaders from the Horn of Africa and the Italian Institute for Political Science organized a two-day conference on EU and US policy on Eritrea and the Horn of Africa. The Conference, held in Brussels on 9th and 10th November 2009, was attended by high-ranking officials and academics from Europe, the European Union, the United States, the Horn countries, Eritrean political leaders in diaspora, human rights activists and civil society leaders from across the Horn of Africa.

Press release - Arabic version.

The attendants adopted the following concluding statement - Arabic version.

Further information on the conference: Presentations, Media Coverage, Announcement and Background Documents.

Click here to look at the pictures in our Photo Library.

At a meeting preceding the EU Summit on 29 and 30 October the three future EU Presidencies, Spain (January-June 2010), Belgium (July-December 2010) and Hungary (January-June 2011), presented their common logo to be used for the next eighteen months. The logo, consisting of the letters eu written in the national colours of the respective presidencies, represents the joined effort of the three future Presidencies to develop a longer term EU strategy in line with the requirements of the Lisbon Treaty. On behalf of the Presidency trio the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Zapatero, announced that they will be presenting the eighteen-month common Presidency programme in a month's time when it will have been finalised.

Now that the Czech President, Václav Klaus, has signed the Lisbon Treaty, thereby completing the full ratification of the Treaty, the EU Heads of State will soon be meeting again to decide on who should occupy the two most senior posts, that of the permanent President of the European Council and that of the High Representative of the Union in Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.  The latter will be responsible for setting up the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU diplomatic service intended to support him or her in implementing EU foreign policy.

In the wake of the final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by all the EU Member States the Council and the European Commission, in consultation with the European Parliament, will start negotiating on the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service that will support the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who will also be a Vice-President in the Commission.