'Everybody Needs Strait Of Hormuz Open': Kaja Kallas' Big Statement On US-Iran Peace Deal

[00:00:00]Good morning everybody. Uh so we have a full day ahead. First we start with the breakfast on Armenia. We have the foreign minister of Armenia uh joining us. They just had elections and we have seen uh really increased pressure by by Russia to actually change their path.

[00:00:18]That's why we have to support them uh to be resilient. That's why we are also discussing with the minister what more can we do um to help them on their path.

[00:00:28]Then we discuss uh Ukraine. Uh last night we saw again uh increased attacks on civilians also uh UNESCO inheritage site. So these are all uh war crimes that Russia is committing. Uh of course we are also coming uh today with uh more listings, more sanctions that we have been working uh on on the uh military-industrial complex of Russia but also the shadow fleet. And I also welcome uh the news of of uh um the interception of the shadow fleet by uh UK. Uh then we have discussion on the Middle East. Of course um there is uh the deal that has been announced now by US and Iran that is much welcomed by everybody. It is the first way place to open the straight of moose and then move on to the negotiations on the critical topics like uh the nuclear issue but also other uh critical uh issues that uh are important for the stability and peace in the region. And then um we will have uh other topics like uh Ebola. Uh we will have other topics uh also on the agenda that we will uh discuss. Then we have uh very good news on the um enlargement process like you just heard from uh the enlargement commissioner. Um so we will um we will have those events uh later on after um the foreign affairs council. The >> question and Iran is it time for the Europeans to interact and participate? Uh yes, this is exactly that we are going to discuss with the foreign ministers uh because we have been in contact with uh Iran but also the Gulf partners uh um also our American counterparts to offer help because we have expertise when it comes to the nuclear um uh negotiations for example. We can also uh provide uh other help and and this is what we are going to discuss with the foreign ministers today.

[00:02:37]this it's changed a lot so the last days and um what do you what do you think?

[00:02:45]>> Um well it is much welcomed and uh finger crossed that it will be also initialized uh on Friday uh because everybody needs the straight of our moves to be open and and actually this war to stop. So it is much welcomed and and we hope that uh it will last.

[00:03:04]>> Will the sanctions against the Israeli minister will be discussed today?

[00:03:08]>> Uh yes uh it has been proposed uh by by many uh member states to uh sanction the minister Ben. Um we will discuss this.

[00:03:18]At the moment uh uh my you know consultations with the member states is that we don't have the necessary unonymity that we need for this decision. because we know that in uh in the first sections there are ban for Russian combats to enter EU but how do you see this could work in practice because it sounds good but how to do that in practice uh well um we of course have uh also the the intelligence of the people who have participated in the war and so you know it's like uh uh adding those to the Shenhen prohibition list so that they can't enter um Europe. Um I think I'm not an expert on on the visa and and all these uh uh issues but as our experts say it's it's doable >> on Iran on Iran again are you today are you trying to impose sanction against Iran or today you are trying to calm the situation?

[00:04:20]>> Yes. Uh today we are discussing what more can we do now that we uh enter into this uh second phase. uh what Europe can bring to the table. Uh and of course we will discuss also Middle East the situation in Gaza and West Bank. Uh we will discuss also Lebanon. Um and we hope that Lebanon is is covered by uh by this ceasefire and of course they still need help. I mean we have provided also um the European peace facility uh support to the Lebanese armed forces and and we are also discussing uh since UNIFIL mission is going to end uh whether we are coming uh with our own operation instead and what could uh that mandate be. We have some proposals on the table. Thank you. See you later.

[00:05:08]First uh we will have the first biggest step for Ukraine and Muldova after they have gotten uh candidate status in 2023.

[00:05:17]So finally finally we will be able to open uh cluster one for both of country.

[00:05:24]Why? Because they have delivered in it was really a time that we do this and if uh they deliver we should uh deliver too. That's why I expect that we will uh open all the rest of uh five clusters then um then in uh July and this is also good news. Second we will close two additional chapters for Montenegro altogether it will be 16 it is roughly half of what they have to do. I just came back from uh Ireland which will be the next uh uh council presidency and if we do all together right meaning uh the commission of course the uh candidate country Montenegro and the member states uh during the Irish presidency or at the end of the Irish presidency we could uh finish and bringing Montenegro uh through the finishing uh line. Why is this so uh important? It is important because uh as never before enlargement uh is delivering as the most important foreign policy of the European Union in the last uh 16 17 months we have delivered more than in the 15 years uh before the next um topic we will also discuss Bosnia and Hzogina. I hope that uh European Union will unite uh behind the candidate for the position of high uh representative who will then work in the best interest of Bosnia and Herzugina but also for in the best interest of the European path of this uh country. The latest survey shows that 74% of people in Bosnia wants to go the European path. So we in the European Union but also in Bosnia and Herzuggoina the leaders should uh follow uh this uh vision of people of Bosnia and Herzuggoina.

[00:07:20]Uh in my opinion the high representative work should work in a way he or she that it will very soon be obsolete so that Bosnian Huggina will regain the total sovereignity and without uh being able to making decision without the international supervision and we are preparing uh future vision of Bosnia and Herzogina in the European Commission.

[00:07:49]How fast can it go now? Is is the EU and is Ukraine prepared for this?

[00:07:54]>> Um yes, we are uh thanks to the so-called frontloading. Uh in the past, as you know, we have uh uh informally opened the cluster before starting in November last year. So with the front loing process on the technical level, we are ready. Of course, as you know, we have to get the green light from the from the member states to be able to go on, but I'm positive.

[00:08:18]How can we make sure that future members like Ukraine will not use their veto to block important decisions in foreign affairs?

[00:08:25]>> First uh we have to come to the uh situation that we will uh make uh an accession treaty also for Ukraine. For the time being we have it for uh we are in the process of making for for Montenegro. So it is still some time to uh that we will see how to do this. But what we know now is that's why I'm mentioning the accession treaty with Montenegro. will be a new generation of uh accession treaties in the sense of that we will have new safeguards which will do or provide exactly what you have mentioned how to make sure that once uh we will get new members on board uh they will uh follow the European rules being a member 5 10 or 50 years uh 15 years after so we will discuss about every culture every country once we will come to the point to have a accession treaty Yeah.

[00:09:17]>> About the about the coming up Iran deal with United States. Is it time for Europe now to um think about really seriously uh um intervening in the state of Hormus?

[00:09:31]>> Um it is on the possibility what will be uh first discussed also I hope uh today and uh what will be the direction from the from the member states. What we know generally from the European Union is that uh we are being being squeezed from east and from the west and we have to find our place and our place also finding our place means how to be strong and also being able to uh act in this uh crazy geopolitical environment when there are less and less um international law or rules being uh being followed. So generally uh I would think whenever we can show how strong we are I'm not speaking about the military part but mostly about what is so precious to us meaning our values and uh human rights and everything what is engraved in the article two of the European treaty.

[00:10:25]There was a question from the left. Yes.

[00:10:27]So it's the same question about are you concerned about the fact that member states are pushing more um options on new enlargement like the fact that they will have no bet right the fact that can it could be not a real member but part of a membership and they will be part of the team uh it is clear uh no uh I am not concerned because finally we have a discussion I wanted to have for so long uh also together with the member state meaning uh if uh the enlargement process is for some of them uh not made for today's uh environment. What kind of uh methodology could we have? So we need this uh discussion. But it is clear what we have out of discussion now. The full membership will only be possible once the member states will uh fulfill all the requirements. So there is no half membership or quarter membership. There is only full membership. But indeed what we are discussing now it will be two very important principles. First is merit-based and secondly is we have many many options what we can do on the field of the gradual integration and this is what we are looking now uh how to enhance this part of the accession process. Thank you so much wishing you a nice day.