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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès attended the extraordinary sitting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on 18 May which was organised as a result of the escalation in violence in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This topic was discussed with High Representative Borrell last Saturday.

On this International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, we could not be gathered without strongly expressing our attachment to what is the bedrock of the European Union: our common fundamental values, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.

Today, Monday 17 May, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and her fellow ministers met at the invitation of the Portuguese presidency in Coimbra, Portugal, for an informal meeting of the Council of European Affairs.

In 2004, May 17th was declared International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). In honor of this day, the Egmont Palace in Brussels will be illuminated in the colors of the rainbow flag from Sunday, May 16 to Tuesday, May 18.

On 11 May 2011 the Istanbul Convention was signed. Never before has a treaty been so ambitious on preventing & combating violence against women and domestic violence. Ten years later, the Benelux countries reaffirm their commitment to this cause.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels on Monday 10 May. The European ministers discussed in detail the situation in the Western Balkans and the state of transatlantic relations, before holding a videoconference meeting with the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.

On Monday 10 May, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, organised a working meeting between the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Benelux countries and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) in the context of Belgium's Presidency of Benelux, and in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), which was held that day.

On Thursday 6 and Friday 7 May, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès visited Ukraine where she led a delegation from the Benelux countries, of which Belgium currently holds the Presidency. She was accompanied by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Mr Stef Blok (Netherlands) and Mr Jean Asselborn (Luxembourg).

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès will represent Belgium today at the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council. She will speak on behalf of the Federal State and the federated entities. Belgium's human rights policy will be reviewed for the third time since 2011.

On Tuesday 20 April, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs, Sophie Wilmès, held a videoconference with her European counterparts within the framework of the General Affairs Council (GAC). The ministers focused mainly on European coordination in relation to COVID-19, the rule of law situation in five Member States and the Conference on the Future of Europe.

During their videoconference meeting on Monday 19 April, the EU Foreign Ministers discussed in detail the situation in Ethiopia and that in Ukraine, with an informal exchange of views with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba. During the review of current European foreign policy issues, the ministers focused on China, Iran and Russia. Additional sanctions have been adopted against two companies and ten individuals in Myanmar.

On Thursday 1 April, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès spoke with her counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. The two ministers reviewed the bilateral and regional cooperation, including between the Benelux countries and the Baltic States, of which they each hold the Presidency.